


Trunk Of Secrets

by Unfable



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Smut, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 10:08:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 54,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15839073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unfable/pseuds/Unfable
Summary: This takes place during the time of 'Still' where Daryl and Beth are hiding out in the trunk of the car. Just my take on what could have happened in the hours they spent inside.





	1. Chapter 1

There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize they've picked up on a new fear they were unaware of and right now Beth was realizing she couldn't stand dark, damp, confined spaces.

It wasn't so much the fact she was stuck in the trunk of a car with Daryl, who happened to be a jerk at the moment and had hardly said two words to her since the loss of the prison, but the fact they were surrounded by walkers and she had no idea how long they would be there.

The space around them was cramped and Beth found it hard to get comfortable. She could tell her constant shifting was starting to annoy Daryl and finally sighed and gave up, afraid his already bad mood would worsen if she didn't give it a rest. She was just going to have to deal with the metal of the car digging into her back until the herd passed.

Then it started to storm...great another stupid fear Beth had since she was a small child. It wasn't the lightening or the wind, but the loud unsuspecting sound of thunder always made the hair on her arms stand at attention. That mixed with walkers bouncing off the car was sure to give her a mini heart attack before it was all over.

And just like that it happened. The crash echoed through the trunk loud enough to make the car shake and Beth yelped and reached down to grab a hold of Daryl's leg. Her palm pressed against his shin with her fingers digging into the sides of his calf while her heart tried to escape her chest.

Daryl didn't move. His eyes still focused through the cross-hairs of his bow as he watched through the crack in the trunk, prepared if something tried to get inside.

Beth wondered how he could be so calm, until she saw the hard look across his face when lightening flashed inside their cage for a brief second. He was worried. At least she thought it was a look of concern. Either from the fact they were trapped or the fact she was clawing her nails into his skin and causing him pain. Finally she eased up her grip on his leg and could feel him instantly relax under her hold.

"Sorry." She whispered and he grunted in return, still unmoving.

They sat there for what felt like forever and Beth let her mind wander. Unaware she was idly playing with the inside seam of his pant leg. She only realized it when her hand had drifted higher up toward his knee and could feel him tense. His eyes cutting to the side to see what she was doing and then quickly back to his crossbow.

Beth didn't retract her hand and he didn't make an attempt to stop her, so she figured it wasn't bothering him. The simple action was oddly making her relax and keeping her from jumping at every small sound or movement, and for that she was thankful. It gave her heart a chance to start beating at a normal pace.

She continued to slide the material of his jeans under her nails going up and down the length of his leg, from his knee to his ankle slowly, while leaning her head back and shutting her eyes. Trying to get comfortable enough to maybe sleep for a few hours since they didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon.

"The hell ya doin?" Daryl growled, making Beth snap her eyes open to see her hand had drifted up his thigh and almost to his crotch. She instantly jerked it back and wrapped her arms around her body, only making eye contact with him for a second to see he looked flustered. His Adams apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably.

"I didn't...I...Wasn't..." Beth's words fumbled and she blushed a deep shade of red. Glad it was still too dark for him to make out just how embarrassed she was.

Daryl cleared his throat and moved his leg, trying to bend his knee to keep from touching her.

"You're mad..." Beth spoke with uncertainty. Keeping her voice low as she continued to hug herself and willing her eyes to stare at the tail light beside her head.

"Ain't mad." Daryl informed her and went back to focus on the threat around them. "Just keep yer hands ta yerself." He continued after a moment and readjusted his bow.

Beth sighed and risked a glance, noticing how tense his muscles were. "Then what is it?"

"Nothin'." Daryl blinked and gave up trying to see out into the dark, dropping his weapon to the side and moving to lean back a little more. If she wasn't going to let him concentrate on protecting them, then he was at least going to attempt to get some rest.

"I'm not stupid Daryl." Beth said while sitting up to see him better. "To think you'd even be interested in something like that. I wasn't trying to do anything and you don't have to act like I'm disgusting and scoot as far away from me as possible." She moved her hand to wipe a piece of sweaty hair off her face. It was hot even at night in the middle of summer and being locked in a trunk with another person wasn't helping. "I didn't even realize my hand had moved."

Daryl stared at Beth in the dim light and brought his thumb up between his teeth nervously to chew on his cuticle while he thought about what to say. The words left his mouth before he could stop himself. "My father used ta lock me in a closet in the bathroom when I was little...just not a fan of bein' contained..." He wasn't sure why his word vomit decided to go in that direction, but there was no way to take it back now. He'd never opened up to anyone about the sick ways his father would torture him and Merle when they were growing up and he didn't understand why his brain felt the need to share those experiences with her all of a sudden.

Beth listened quietly as he spoke and even though it had nothing to do with her hand on him, she started to see why he never wanted to be in a cell back at the prison. It also explained why he might be so tense at the moment. "I'm sorry he did that to you." She offered, having always known to a degree that he had suffered some sort of abuse at the hands of his father, just not the grim details behind it.

Daryl shrugged. "S'ok. Piece of shits dead now anyways."

"Still...that's terrible." Beth's brows furrowed and she shifted to bring her knees closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Is that why you wont let anyone close to you? I mean, because of him?" She instantly felt bad as soon as she asked. Knowing he was more than likely not going to answer or completely shut her out. Daryl Dixon wasn't much for sharing his feelings.

He surprised her though when he shrugged again and moved his attention from chewing on his thumb to playing with a bolt from his crossbow. "Don't exactly know how ta let someone be close."

"You and Carol seemed close." Beth pointed out while picking at her boot. "You just have to learn to trust people."

Daryl scoffed and tapped the bolt he'd been playing with against the metal frame of the car. "Haven't trust anyone since I was five when the bastard locked me in that closet for the first time." He ignored the part about him and Carol. Only seeing them as nothing more than maybe having a friendship that he'd been trying to figure out and didn't feel like bothering to explain the situation to Beth right then. He still wasn't even sure why he was continuing this conversation.

She didn't want to push, but maybe talking about it would help him to deal with the trauma and make him start to open up with her a little. To realize not everyone in the world was like his father and some people could be trusted if you gave them a chance. "Why did he do it?"

Daryl looked away and stayed quiet for a moment. Opening his mouth as if he were going to say something and snapping it back closed before anything escaped. Beth waited though to see if he could gathered together what he acted like he wanted to tell her. "Pissed myself..." He finally said, twirling the bolt through his fingers and pausing before speaking again. "An' instead of helpin' me find clean clothes he beat the shit out of me and locked me up like I was some kind of worthless animal..." Sighing he ran a hand through his hair and fought back an emotion he'd long built a wall around. He left out the part where he cried and screamed for hours on more than one occasion for someone to set him free, while his father cranked up 50's music to drown him out. Any time he heard Elvis after that he could feel his breathing grow uneven and for some reason the familiar smell of that closet came rushing back.

Beth didn't know what to say. She could feel tears pricking the back of her eyes as she tried to imagine the horror he went through and this had only been one time. The scars she knew that laced his back weren't put there from just one more incident. He had suffered years of the same torment from the man that was suppose to love him. Like her father had loved her and it wasn't fair. Over the time she had known Daryl he was the most selfless person she had ever met. Risking his life to find a little girl that wasn't even his and not to mention all the things he had done for the group while at the prison, never asking for a thing in return. She carefully wiped her eyes once the tears broke free and sniffed.

"Stop ya cryin'." Daryl snapped. "S'all in the past now."

Beth lifted her watery blue eyes to meet his. Even in the dark he could see the faint light reflecting off them. "I just can't understand how someone could do that to a defenseless child..." She said in a soft, shaky voice.

"He was a drunken asshole." Daryl reminded her. "Most assholes only care 'bout themselves."

"You must think I'm horrible..." She started. "A selfish person wanting to end my life when I've only endured the pain of losing loved ones...while you...you went through the mental and physical abuse for years..." Beth paused to take in a breath and keep control of herself. "And after everything you're still here. Fighting for those around you."

"I ain't perfect Beth." Daryl said calmly while loading the bolt back into his crossbow. "An' I don't think any less of ya for the decision ya made." She looked in his direction and he continued. "There were moments back then I wanted ta die. Ya just weren't used ta dealin' with yer pain. After everythin' it just became a part of me I reckon. Had a long time ta get used to it."

Beth watched him for several minutes and ran her hand over the back of her neck, then across her chin. "You should be proud of the person you've become."

Daryl shot her a look of disbelief. "Why? Look at me. Look where I've ended up. Hidin' out in the trunk of a rusted out car with no home ta go back to. That ain't nothin' ta be proud of. In the end I've still lost everythin'. Merle was all I had left and his dumbass went and got himself killed."

"You saved me." Beth said quietly. "That's something to be proud of. I've finally accepted this life enough to be grateful you didn't leave me there to die."

"Yer worth savin'." Daryl admitted, dropping his eyes to his lap. Feeling embarrassed at the realization at how much he meant what he said. "Most of them in our original group were strong and could take care of themselves. When I saw you... I figured ya might need my help." He held up his hand to make sure she understood he didn't mean it in an offending manner. "I know ya haven't gotten out as much as they have. Been spendin' all yer time mothering a kid that ain't even yers. Don't leave a lot of room ta learn how ta survive out here."

Beth's brows furrowed a little. "How does that make me worth saving? Just proves I have nothing to offer. That I'll only get in your way."

Daryl kept his head down, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Ya deserve ta be here just as much as I do." There was no way in hell he was going to admit that he had become fond of the young woman that took care of the baby that could make him smile on his worst days. Or that she was sweet and kind and he loved how her long blonde hair would shine a golden color in the sun. How her pale skin would glow in the Georgia heat just the right way to make him feel like a dirty old man. He cleared his throat then and straightened his posture as he willed himself to get it together. He couldn't have thoughts about her that way when he was twice her age and she probably thought he was nothing more than a dirty redneck. It was easier just to keep his mouth shut and go about his business without a second thought.

"You're an idiot Daryl Dixon." Beth said after a moment in a serious tone.

He frowned at her. "What?"

"You're an idiot." She repeated. "Either that or you're blind."

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Ain't neither one."

"Then take a look around. You said it yourself. You saved me because you thought I needed your help and you were right. There's no way I could survive out here alone, and once again you put someone else and their needs before your own. Knowing there's a chance I could get you killed." Beth shifted and softened her tone. "If that doesn't give you a reason to be proud of the person you are, then you're an idiot. This may not mean much coming from me, but I can honestly tell you that you're a good man and should embrace who you've become. Even over the short time I've known you, I've seen the changes and its nothing to be ashamed of."

Daryl watched her the whole time she spoke and let her words take a minute to sink in. He was speechless. Carol was the only other person to say something like that to him and he still found it hard to believe even coming from someone else. He wasn't entirely sure how he should feel. The tugging against his chest didn't seem like a bad thing and he almost wanted to smile. For the first time in his life he finally felt like he meant something to someone, even if he had heard it before. Beth had somehow found a way to get him to listen and make him realize what he had been missing. Might of just been because they were currently trapped together and there was no way he could run away from the conversation, but it had worked. "Thanks..." Was all he could think to offer her at the moment and he moved down lower to get comfortable, shutting his eyes with his arms over his chest. "We should try ta get some sleep."

"Fine." Beth huffed and kicked at his side as she tried to get settled. "Move over."

Daryl groaned and pressed himself against the back of the car the best he could and rolled so he was facing in her direction. Just watching as she closed her eyes and after a little while her breathing became even as sleep crept in. He wasn't positive he could actually follow her any time soon as miserable and cramped as he was, but he was sure as hell going to try.


	2. Chapter 2

All was silent for a short while as Daryl lay unmoving beside Beth, still unable to relax enough to let sleep take over, but the time alone with his thoughts allowed his eyes to drift across her small body tucked away peacefully against his side. Constantly fighting the urge to run his hand along her arm and down her ribs to her perfect hip bone that was bare due to her shirt riding up. It made him almost groan just thinking about the things he could do to her even if he knew it was wrong. He wasn't even sure if given permission to do such things that he could bring himself to actually go through with it.

Something about the words she'd let sink into his head made him want to come right out and tell her exactly how he felt and he'd been biting his tongue the whole time she spoke to keep that from happening. He was grateful too that he'd kept his mouth shut. Afraid to accept the fact he had those feelings for the young woman in the first place.

His fantasizing was brought to a stop suddenly when a walker fell into the car, hard enough to wake Beth from her slumber with a scream that startled him more than the jolt of clumsy corpse hitting the car to start with. He instantly moved from his position to cover her mouth with his hand and in the process bashed the side of his head against the top of the trunk lid.

"Son of a bitch!" He hissed from the hit and winced, pressing down on Beth's mouth harder when she started to voice her protest in the state of panic. "Shhh, it's just me." He whispered, trying to get her to see she wasn't in any danger.

Daryl expected her to take a moment to catch her breath and get under control, but instead she leaped forward and tightly wrapped her arms around him. He automatically tense and drop his hand from her mouth. Sitting there in an awkward position with his arms at his sides for several minutes while he tried to make himself understand exactly what was going on. Hell he'd just been daydreaming about having his hands all over her and now that her body was flush against his he had no idea what to do.

It wasn't until he heard her soft sobs that he told himself to man up and pulled her against him tighter. Lightly rubbing her back to offer some sort of comfort as her crying manifested a pain inside his chest he was unfamiliar with.

Daryl wasn't sure if the pounding between them was from her heart beating erratically or his own trying to punch through his ribs at how nervous he was. There was never a moment he could recall where he had successfully dealt with a crying woman without wanting to run in the opposite direction and he was starting to doubt there was anything he could give Beth to calm her down.

Before he could offer her soothing words or soft touches Beth pulled away from him and looked down at her arm to see drops of blood, her eyes quickly darted up to notice the cut on the side of his head and gasped. "You're hurt." She said with a frown.

"I'm fine." He insisted. In the mix of everything Daryl had completely forgotten he'd hit his head and reached around to grab the handkerchief out of his back pocket while still keeping his hold on her.

He carefully wiped the blood off her arm and as he went to take care of the source Beth stopped him half way. Grabbing the handkerchief from his hand and gently dabbing at the cut that made him jerk slightly and shut his eyes. He took that time to distract himself with the realization of just how much he liked feeling her warm body against his, and the feel of her breath tickling his jaw that sent a tingle throughout his limbs.

"What happened?" Beth asked after she finished getting the bleeding to stop and shifted to get a better look at him. She reached up again a second later to gently wipe a smear of blood from under his eye and then moved away completely to go back to her original position where she'd been sleeping.

Daryl swallowed at the soft touch and cursed to himself at how much he missed her body against him when it was gone. Sitting up more, he answered. "Jumped when ya screamed an' forgot how difficult it was ta move in here."

Beth gave him a shy nod and curled herself up in a ball, letting out a sigh. "Sorry."

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked quietly, concerned. Wondering what had changed from her somewhat normal state a few minutes earlier when she had been taking care of him.

Beth didn't move. "Just thought they had gotten us..."

Daryl watch her a moment as her body trembled and her eyes kept scanning over to the crack in the trunk and back in his direction. It was too hot for her to be shivering from the cold and he could only assume she was uneasy. He was going to tell her she had nothing to worry about, but she kept acting like she wanted to say more.

"What is it?" Daryl finally asked, growing impatient.

Beth's eyes locked on his briefly before speaking. "Can I..." She paused and looked away, almost embarrassed to let the words go. "Can I sit over there...beside you?"

Had Daryl not been paying close attention he may of missed exactly what it was she'd asked. Her voice was soft and a little hoarse, but once he understood what she wanted he couldn't turn her away. "I reckon." He said with a shrug and started to move over.

After a bit of maneuvering they managed to both fit somewhat comfortably on the same side of the trunk and Beth slowly eased her way closer to him. Dropping her head against his shoulder and looping her arm across his stomach. Daryl didn't mind the contact at first. Not until her hand drifted a little too close to his belt buckle and he tensed, sucking in a breath at the way his body betrayed him.

"You seem to be handling all this pretty well, being stuck in here I mean... considering what you told me." Beth said while playing with a string on the bottom of his vest like everything was completely normal about her being wrapped around the redneck.

"Just good at hidin' it." Daryl responded, trying to figure out what to do with his hands. He once again felt like he was awkwardly sitting there while she had no problem with their close proximity. Finally he gathered the courage to slide the arm she had been leaning on around her back, placing his hand on her side carefully to not startle her and pulled her tighter against him.

"Is there anything else you're afraid-" Beth cut herself off before she gave him the impression she thought he was scared and reworded the question. "I mean is there anything else like this that bothers you?" She asked, looking up at him nervously.

Daryl shrugged and lifted his free hand to scratch at his stubbly chin. "Guess there's a few things."

"Like what?" Beth said a little too quickly, hoping it didn't give away just how interested she was on the subject. "If you're comfortable telling me..." She added, not wanting him to think she would push him to talk about something he didn't want to.

Daryl sighed and wondered if he should even bother telling her anything more about his up bringing. Nothing from it was pleasant and he didn't want her acting any different toward him. He definitely didn't want her to start crying again, and dragging up the memories was never something he looked forward to doing after burying them so deep. "Why ya care ta know?" He asked, hoping it might change the subject.

"I didn't know if talking about it would help...I'd hate to do anything that would trigger something bad for you..." Beth snuggled her head against his shoulder a little more, getting closer to the crook of his neck and it made him shiver involuntary.

Daryl cleared his throat and forced his mind to get back on track. Talking about his fucked up childhood seemed easier to do in that moment than to explain how her body was driving him crazy. "Dawn dish soap...the smell makes me wanna vomit, 'specially the orange kind." He admitted, looking around for some kind of distraction as thinking about it made his stomach uneasy.

Beth lifted her eyes up toward his face and crinkled her forehead in question. Trying to imagine how an object used to clean dishes would bother him so much.

He caught her look briefly and quickly turned away, tapping his palm against his bent knee when he realized she wanted him to explain. "Do we have ta do this?"

"Not if you don't want to." Beth made sure that was clear and squeezed his side gently so he knew she was serious.

With a sigh Daryl retracted his hand from his knee and took a risk to place it over hers that was resting on his side. Idly tracing her fingers with the tips of his as he composed himself enough to tell her something he'd never spoken a word of before. "Learned real quick not ta cry...or make a sound..." He began. "More of a beatin' usually came if I screamed, but sometimes he'd use soap ta keep me quiet." Beth felt him go stiff against her and she expected him to stop and that be the end of it, but he carried on. "...Made damn sure I didn't spit that shit out neither." His stomach tightened again. "Least not 'til I was locked up..." He could remember the rash the soap caused on his chin and chest once he was able to spit it out or he threw up. His father started binding his wrists behind his back as Daryl got older, after figuring out he could wiggle his fingers through the crack and lift the lock. When that was the case he'd have to sit there for hours with the soap irritating his skin with no chance to wipe it away until someone let him out.

Beth sat there silently as she listened, knowing there was nothing she could do to take away the memory, but she was glad he was learning to trust her enough with something so personal. To know she wouldn't judge him or make him feel worse and It broke her heart to see him physically hurt just talking about it. She wasn't even sure if he noticed his breathing had picked up or that he was crushing her hand underneath his.

"The snappin' of a belt..." Beth blinked at the sound of his voice, thinking he was finished and noticed the flinch as the words left his mouth. "Did it on purpose before he'd hit me, knowin' that shit would send me runnin'."

"Daryl..." Beth frowned, fighting to keep her own emotions back and tried to think of a way to ease his pain. To let him know she was there for him and that he didn't have to continue.

"I was never fast enough." Daryl started to get flustered and fidget. Shifting around beside her, almost panting like he was going to have an anxiety attack.

"Calm down, it's alright. We don't have to talk about it anymore." She whispered and unwrapped her body from his, moving to place her hands on his face and make him look at her.

Daryl turned his head and reached up to grab her wrist. "Don't..." He choked and jerked her hand away, grabbing at his collar. His fear of being trapped was starting to crash down upon him and tear apart everything he'd built up around his past.

"Daryl it's OK. You're not alone. No ones going to hurt you." Beth forced her hand back to his cheek. Knowing he made it very clear he didn't want to feel crowded, but she did the only thing that came to mind and pressed her lips against his carefully.

When he didn't respond at first she feared she made a mistake and almost bailed on her plan, until she felt his hand on her hip, digging his fingers into her skin and moving his mouth against hers with more pressure. Beth had to swallow back a moan that surprised her and instantly felt guilty when her fingers curled into his hair. She had never kissed a man and it was completely different from the shy moments she had with Jimmy. There was more emotion behind the kiss with Daryl and his stubble tickled her chin.

The whole purpose of the kiss was to change the subject and get him to calm down, but now Daryl was licking her lips, trying to gain access to go deeper and she was allowing it to happen.

He explored her mouth eagerly for several minutes, massaging his tongue against hers and taking his time. Afraid it was all a dream and she'd be gone the second he opened his eyes. Finally Beth needed to breathe and caught his bottom lip between hers, sucking lightly as she pulled away.

Daryl kept his eyes closed when they broke apart and cursed. "Fuck...I'm sorry..." He said between pants, obviously needing to catch his own breath and shifted uncomfortably. His member was now strained against his jeans and he felt disgusting. Part of his brain was telling him he was normal and just accepting the feelings he had for the young blonde and the other part was screaming that he was a gross old man and taking advantage of the situation. She had been the one to initiate the kiss, but he worried she hadn't actually meant to do it for the same reasons he wanted it. "Fuck!" He cursed again with a growl and moved to open the trunk.

Beth started to protest, but he knew the walkers were gone. Light was already shining through the cracks and he hadn't heard a sound outside since she woke up. Either way he had to get out of there and try to breathe. Telling himself that getting bit might be a better fate than having to face her ever again.

Daryl jumped out of the trunk quicker than he imagined possible once it was open and grabbed his bow. Kicking a piece of metal across the street in frustration as soon as his feet hit the pavement.

"Daryl!" Beth yelled and stalked after him, grabbing his bicep and turning him around to face her. "You may be sorry, but I'm not." She said and narrowed her eyes, causing him to take a step back.

"The hell ya mean?" Daryl asked, making sure to keep a distance between them and brought his thumb up between his teeth to chew on. A habit he only exhibited when nervous or unsure of himself.

"I'm not sorry I kissed you." Beth responded honestly. She wanted to tell him how much she liked the feel of him against her and how it made her body ache. How she was scared to death she had ruined everything and he was going to run away from her. He'd been by her side since the prison fell and she couldn't imagine being the reason for him to leave. For him to finally realize she was holding him back and he was better off alone.

"Maybe ya should be." He grumbled and turned around, walking off down the road with her trailing his heels.


	3. Chapter 3

They walked for miles in silence and Beth's shoulders were burning from the sun beaming down upon them for most of the day. Her legs were tired, she was hungry and thirsty, but too afraid to say anything and break Daryl's concentration. She sighed in relief when he turned off into the woods and quickly followed to enjoy the shade the trees provided. It was the first time that day she wasn't completely miserable.

"Daryl..." Beth finally spoke after they walked for another hour and she couldn't push her body any further. "Can we please just stop a minute?"

Daryl paused and turned to face her and that's when she realized just how exhausted he was. There were dark bags under his eyes and his skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat that accompanied a look of annoyance.

Beth was unaware he hadn't slept while they were locked in the trunk, but at the moment it was clearly present in his features. She suddenly felt bad she was the one complaining about being tired.

"Sorry." She apologized and moved forward to signal she'd keep going whether or not her body agreed to.

Daryl turned in the direction they'd been heading and continued to trek through the woods.

Beth locked her eyes on the back of Daryl's Angel Wings to motivate herself to keep going and with only a few Walkers to take care of along the way, the hike wasn't that bad. Daryl had been leading them toward a shallow river and she almost cried at seeing something so beautiful. All she wanted to do right then was fall face first into the water and cool off, but she kept it together enough to slowly walk down the bank, kneel and let the stream run over her hands. "Thank you." She whispered to Daryl, who was also kneeling to splash water across his face.

Daryl responded with a grunt and looked around to make sure they were safe before setting his bow down by his feet. His body was sticky and covered in dirt from the hot day and he really wanted to wash off the filth, find clean clothes and a nice soft bed to sleep in. He had to laugh at actually wanting to be clean. Most days he could care less about the dirt and dry blood that decorated his body, but now that Beth was around he thought it might help him coupe with his 'dirty old man' theory and maybe rid himself of the 'dirty' part. He knew it was unlikely to find clean clothes and a nice bed, so the least he could do was not let himself go around smelling like the ass of a rotting corpse.

"What are you doing?" Beth asked as Daryl started to untie his boots.

"What's it look like?" Daryl mumbled in return and slid his feet free. Slowly moving to sit on a rock at the edge of the river to lower his toes into the water and roll up his pant legs. He considered just stripping down to his underwear and going right in, but chose to stay where he was for now.

Daryl unbuckled his belt next and dropped it, along with his heavy knife, onto the rock close by in case it was needed. His vest soon joined the growing pile of his things and Beth continued to sit there quietly.

"What?" Daryl asked after he felt like her eyes were going to burn a hole straight through him.

Beth quickly darted her attention in another direction and bit her lip. She really wanted to get clean just as much as he did, but that also meant removing her clothing and she wasn't bold enough to start shedding her layers in front of him. "Nothing." She replied softly.

Daryl chuckled and rolled his eyes, already knowing what the problem was. "I ain't gonna look at 'cha." He smiled then, something Beth hadn't seen him do in days. "I can be decent believe it or not." Which is what he told himself out loud. When in reality he wasn't sure how he'd react to seeing more of her skin or wet clothes pressed against her tiny frame, but if she asked him to turn away, he would. Simple as that.

With a huff Beth stood and started to kick her boots off and away from the edge of the river. She went to grab the hem of her shirt and paused to look at him. "Promise you wont look?" She asked nervously.

Daryl snorted and scanned the area quickly before turning around and waving his hand at her to continue. He picked up a stick to snap into small pieces and take a lode off his mind while he waited. The hours of walking with no sleep pretty much drained any fight within he had left and hoped it would help him deal with his feelings. He never wanted to pull away from the most intimate moment he'd ever had, but the stress of being trapped gave him the overwhelming urge to run. To get as far away from the situation as possible.

Beth looked over her shoulder one more time to see if he was looking and carefully hung her clothes on a near by branch to keep them from accidentally getting soaked. She stepped into the river wearing her bra and panties and shrieked when her foot sank into a hole, the water suddenly to her knees and a lot colder than expected.

The sound caused Daryl to go stiff and he almost turned around to make sure a Walker hadn't gotten her. "Ya alright?" He asked, just to be sure. Even though he could tell after a second she was unharmed by the way she moved in the water.

"Its freezing!" She exclaimed and shivered as she went waist deep.

Daryl chuckled. "Well hurry the hell up. I'd like ta wash this shit off before it gets dark."

Instead of responding, she settled on splashing him and grinned.

"That's it." Daryl grumbled and stood to remove his shirt, dropping it to the ground beside his boots and went to unbutton his jeans. He turned in her direction then, knowing he was suppose to wait and tried to figure out if the reason he didn't care came from being exhausted or because he didn't want to fight with himself anymore. Either way he was getting in and getting clean.

"Hey!" Beth scolded and instantly ducked into the water, leaving her head still poking out. "You promised."

"Guess ya should of thought 'bout that before gettin' my clothes all wet." He said with a smirk and shucked his pants to the side, standing in only his boxers.

Beth wanted to be mad he broke his promise, but once she got a good look at his bare chest and the perfect V-line of his hips, she found herself speechless and staring.

"Now who's lookin?" Daryl said with a raised brow and Beth blushed, quickly submerging the rest of her body to hide her face.

After their brief stop at the river, Daryl lead them through the woods a bit further where a small neighborhood lay hidden behind the trees. He had never been there, but the place didn't look over run and they needed shelter before the light faded.

Without much debate they crossed through a yard, taking out three Walkers and ran up onto the porch of a one story brick house they'd chosen. Beth waited at the door, her knife drawn, while Daryl checked the inside. Everything was silent and Beth stepped into the living room when he came back, closing the door behind her and flipping the lock as Daryl went take care of the back one and make sure all the windows were secure.

Beth's intentions upon entering the kitchen were to search the cabinets for supplies, but she only made it to where the carpet turned to tile and flopped down onto the floor. Stretching out so the cool surface touched her arms and the side of her face. "This is nice." She hummed and closed her eyes.

Daryl shook his head and began to do the job she intended. A few canned goods remained and he placed them on the counter along with some oatmeal. "Ya callin' it a night?" He asked, inspecting a label on a box that was under the sink.

Beth shook her head even though he couldn't see. "Just sore."

Daryl left the mystery box and rounded the island to look down at her. "C'mere." He said, extending his hand.

"But, I don't wanna move." She groaned and he sighed, reaching down to pull her up anyways, guiding her over to the couch.

"Stop ya whining and sit." He demanded and pushed her gently to lay back.

Daryl dropped to one knee in front of her and grabbed her leg, reaching down to remove her boots and socks.

"Daryl-" She started to protest and he cut her off.

"What I say?" He snapped and looked up at her. Beth huffed, but kept quiet about it and he smirked at the small victory, moving to stand when he was finished. He slung his bow from over his shoulder and rest it against the couch before retreating back into the kitchen.

When he returned he was carrying two forks, a can of beans and a can of peaches. He handed her a fork and sat down on the couch. "Which one ya want? Or ya wanna share?" He asked, holding them out for her to choose.

"We can share." She said and he nodded, setting the can of beans on the arm of the couch with his fork and popped the top on the fruit. He gave her the can and tapped his knees for her to bring her feet up.

Beth hesitated, but did as he suggested and leaned back, resting her feet in is lap. She dug a peach out of the can and jumped when he grabbed her right foot and started rubbing it. She stopped mid chew.

Daryl looked up when she tensed and crinkled his forehead at the look she gave him. "Said ya was sore..."

"Yeah, but Daryl...you don't have to do that." She insisted and swallowed the peach she'd been eating.

Daryl shrugged and continued his massage. He wanted her to relax and be comfortable, knowing he had pushed her today and that she was tired. "I don't mind..."

Beth watched him a minute and finally nodded. No one had ever rubbed her feet before and soon her body started to settle down. When he moved to rub her other foot she impaled a peach with her fork and reached out for him to take a bite.

Daryl willingly accepted her offering and pressed his fingers into her calf to kneed the sore muscle while he chewed. Beth dropped her head against couch with her eyes closed and moaned, the aches starting to leave her leg. "Daryl?" She whispered.

"Hmm?" He responded with more of a sound. Focused on what he was doing.

"I'm sorry about this morning." She apologized, holding the can with both hands so it wouldn't tip and spill juice everywhere.

"Got nothin' to be sorry for." He said and slid his hand higher up her leg, squeezing just above her knee to make it tickle.

She yelped and tried to jerk her leg away, but he gabbed her ankle to keep that from happening. Beth shot him a glare even though he could see the smile she tried to keep hidden spreading across her face.

Daryl chuckled in amusement.

"Thought this was suppose to be relaxing?" She pouted.

"Then stop talkin' and relax." He insisted and released his hold from around her ankle, going back to massaging her calf.

"I'm serious though." Beth sat up a little more to look at him better, careful to not move the leg he was working on. "I really am sorry I made you talk about...well you know. I didn't realize how hard it would be for you." She leaned over to set the peaches on the floor.

"S'not like you held a gun to my head and gave me no other option." He pointed out, pausing his motion to rest a hand by her foot.

"Yeah, but-" She started to argue and he reached up to place his finger over her lips to shush her.

"Stop." He chided and she shocked the hell out of him by biting down on the tip of his finger. A growl rumbled in his chest when the action caused a wave of pleasure to take over and he slid his free hand up her thigh. Leaning forward enough that she bent her knee and allowed him between her legs, their hips a few inches apart. "Best let go." He threatened, narrowing his eyes.

Beth grinned with his finger still between her teeth and shook her head, not at all afraid of the consequences. She had no idea where her new found courage came from to push him in such a way, but he obviously wasn't concerned about their conversation this morning. All she wanted to do now was bring back their playful mood they shared moments before.

When she bit down harder instead of letting go, Daryl dropped his head and nipped the side of her neck, biting carefully. His response hadn't exactly been what Beth expected, assuming he'd just tickle her again, but she found herself gasping and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her body betraying her instantly, causing her hips to shift and brush against his now rather tight jeans, making her shiver.

Once his hand was free he reached to hold her waist down, making sure to keep her hips planted firmly against the couch and away from touching his. "Keep still." He breathed, kissing his way across her jaw and over to her mouth.

Daryl took his time to kiss her slowly, relishing the sensation of her soft lips against his. Giving him the chance to actually appreciate all the little movements she made and the way her heart pounded against him. His intentions started out to just bite her back, but her shifting caused his brain to divert in a different direction completely and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Being this close to her scared the shit out of him, yet he couldn't get enough.

Beth tangled her fingers through his hair and sucked his lip, pleading to kiss him deeper and he groaned when their tongues collided. They stayed that way for several minutes enjoying the feel of one another, until Beth raked her nails down his arm and reached for a button on his shirt. Daryl grabbed her wrist gently and pulled away. "Slow down..." He said between pants, not allowing himself to let things go further.

Beth paused, it taking her a moment to catch her own breath. "I do something wrong?" She asked concerned, her brows furrowing. She had no idea how to be with a man this way and any move she made was guessing blindly at what came next. Maggie had told her stories about boys and sex, but there was never much detail behind it.

"No, hell no." Daryl said, still holding her wrist and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"What is it then?" She asked, looking down when he kissed her hand.

"Just dunno if this is the right thing ta be doin'." He admitted, catching the disappointment and confusion in her eyes.

"You don't want me?" Worry was written all over her face as the question left her mouth.

"Christ, Beth." Daryl growled and let go of her wrist, lowering his body to grind his throbbing length against her hip. A contact he'd been trying to avoid. "It fuckin' feel like I don't want 'cha ass?"

Beth's hands flew to his biceps at the touch and she shuddered helplessly underneath him, swallowing back a moan.

Daryl held his body against her, making sure to not move again. "Tryin' real damn hard to do the decent thing here and ya makin' that shit difficult." When she struggled to form words he forced himself to pull away. Reaching down, he grabbed the can she'd sat on the floor and stood, holding it out for her to take. "Here, finish yer dinner."

After she retrieved the peaches in silence, he snatched his bow up and walked out the front door. Keeping it open so she wouldn't think he was leaving.

Letting the fresh air of the night fill his lungs helped relieve the tension from his body and gave him a chance to get his head on straight. Beth was still a teenager, so young and innocent and he wondered if she even had any idea what she was getting herself into. Given any other day before the world went to shit she wouldn't of even looked in his direction, and he worried the only reason she seemed accepting of him was because he was the only person around. The only person she could connect with and maybe that was clouding her judgement to think she wanted to share something intimate with him. The feelings he had were genuine and he cared about her more than he was willing to admit, but he had to stay guarded, stay smart. Only the day before had he told her he didn't know how to be close to anyone. Now he was slowly letting her consume his every thought and finding it very hard to keep his hands to himself. If he didn't take a step back he was going to end up getting them killed.


	4. Chapter 4

Once Daryl went back inside, Beth was already passed out on the couch with a now empty can still clutched in her grip. He secured the door and went to dispose of her trash, sitting in the kitchen alone to eat the beans that were left untouched. His stomach winning over sleep for the moment, though he was still completely exhausted.

When he finished, he tossed the fork into the sink and went back to the living room to lift Beth from the couch carefully, taking her to the only bedroom in the house. She stirred slightly when she hit the bed and curled around a pillow, not actually waking. Daryl draped a blanket across her body and did one last round of the room to check the windows and closets before heading to the couch.

It was probably the most comfortable place he'd chosen to rest in a year. Much better than the tattered old prison cots or the random nights spent in the back of a vehicle, yet he still found it impossible to actually fall asleep.

With his whole body close to being useless, his mind was constantly plagued with thoughts of his old home and group. Hershel and Rick especially. Two people he'd grown to respect and just when he'd gotten to the point of allowing himself to accept having a family, The Governor rolls up like it was any other day and his new life was suddenly torn from existence. Leaving him to the savage world alone like Merle had when they were younger, when he was finally able to escape the cruel reality his father had painted for them.

He reached up to press his thumb and index finger against his eyes as the memory of Merle leaving washed over and all the focus of his father's abuse was left for him to endure. Then the day he saw his brother for the last time as a walking corpse and had to put him down without a proper goodbye.

Drawing in a deep breath, he pressed back the tears he could feel trying to escape without much of a fight. He had never been much for crying or expressing his emotions, but the stress of the past few days were taking a toll on the hunter and bringing him to a breaking point. Not to mention he had to face Beth and all the new feelings he was slowly developing for the young woman.

In that split second decision to bring her along, he knew from that moment forward the choice was going to change everything he'd ever known. He willingly put himself in a position to protect a woman he hardly spoke to and had mostly watched from a distance. Hiding in the shadows, too ashamed to admit to himself how much he wanted to get to know her better and in the time he'd been given the option to do so, he felt like he was already screwing up. Thinking she would only assume he was being a man and wanting to satisfy some need. He figured at this point it might be easier to just go back to how things were before, when he was focused on surviving.

Daryl rolled over after a while so his face was against the back of the couch and placed his hands over his ears, sliding them just enough to where he could tug on his hair. Trying anything to get his mind to shut off and his body to calm down enough to sleep. He really wanted to yell, hit something, do anything to relieve some of the stress that was eating away at him and usually hunting would help, but that was impossible in the dark. His only option was to sit there in silence alone and pray he could ease his mind.

At some point he managed to gain a little rest, because the next thing he knew he was waking to the sound of someone shuffling around in the kitchen and it was daylight. He already knew it was Beth from how she lifted her feet when she walked and with a sigh he stretched slightly, not fully awake. A moment later a crash echoed through the living room and he jumped, rubbing his face.

"The hell ya doin in there?" He grumbled, irritated at the lack of sleep he'd gotten and the fact he obviously wasn't getting any more.

"Sorry!" Beth called from the kitchen, having dropped a drawer out into the floor while searching for a can opener.

"Knock that shit off." Daryl snapped, moving to sit up. Resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his head into his hands with a groan.

"Well, aren't you pleasant this morning." Beth said sarcastically, making a face as she walked over and held out some food.

Daryl looked at her through the cracks in his fingers and shook his head at the can. He needed a minute to clear the fog of being tired and will himself to wake up, eating was the last thing on his mind.

"Suit yourself." Beth shrugged and sat down beside him, taking a bite of the chicken noodle soup she found. "I left the jar of peanut butter in there if you change your mind."

"Ugh." Daryl grimaced and lifted himself to lean against the back of the couch. He hated peanut butter.

Beth swallowed down some noodles and crinkled her forehead at his response. "What?"

"Rather wait an' go huntin'." He said while leaning over to lay his head on the arm of the couch, yawning.

Beth gave him a nod, drinking the last bit of soup that remained in the can and got up to put her fork in the sink. Something about doing normal things, even as little as putting dirty dishes in the sink, made her feel like things weren't as bad as they truly were.

When she returned she noticed his eyes were closed again. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Not really." Daryl replied lazily, still unmotivated to do anything.

"We could of shared the bed if the couch was that uncomfortable." Beth told him while sitting down, unaware his lack of sleep was because of his mind, not where he chose to lay. She placed a hand on his back, rubbing slightly. Hoping the soothing touch would help him relax, like it helped her when he massaged her feet, but it only caused him to tense and came with a raised brow in her direction at the mention of them sharing a bed.

Beth sighed, knowing that look. "To sleep in." She corrected.

"That's what ya say now." Daryl grunted and Beth glared.

"Do I have to remind you, that you kissed me last night?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Made a mistake" Daryl sighed and shifted, dropping his attention to the floor.

His words caused her to stare. "So, you're saying you didn't mean to?" Beth asked, narrowing her eyes the more frustrated she got.

"Somethin' like that." Daryl replied softly and brought his thumb up to chew on. He felt cornered and had no idea what to tell her. He was trying to stay smart, even with a thousand things running through his head.

"That's bullshit and you know it." Beth snapped. "I remember how you felt...pressed against me."

Daryl swallowed at the reminder and bit the inside of his cheek. "Ya ever even been with a man?" He asked, raising his voice. Finally turning to face her with a serious look. If they were going to talk about this, he wasn't going to beat around the bush

The question stunned Beth at how straight forward it was and it took her a second to reply. "No." She answered honestly.

"Then how the hell ya even know that's somethin' ya want?" Daryl asked. "Hardly looked in my direction back at the prison."

"That you noticed..." Beth pointed out.

Daryl growled and wiped his sweaty palm against his jeans. "What would yer Daddy think? Knowin' some dumbass redneck twice yer age had his hands all over you?"

For some reason the mention of her father made her blood boil. "I can make my own decisions." She bit out bitterly, not wanting to think about her father and his possible reaction to the situation. It only made her heart break a little more having to accept he was gone.

"Doesn't mean he wouldn't be ashamed ta know his little girl was out tryin' ta sleep with the first man she was left alone with!" Daryl's words were harsh and the small hand that suddenly made contact with the side of his face surprised him.

Beth didn't understand how, but her body took control before her mind knew what was happening and she slapped him as hard as she could, with every emotion she was currently feeling behind it. Once her mind finally caught up, she felt terrible. Her hand instantly came to her mouth to hide the shock of her own actions. "I'm sorry... Daryl I'm so sorry."

Daryl stood there in disbelief, having jumped to his feet. No one had hit him like that in a long time without getting hit back and he suddenly had the urge to run away. He'd never hurt Beth and he felt defenseless, much like he had as a kid facing his father, knowing he could only stand there and take it. The impact alone brought back a feeling from his childhood that made him sick and being helpless only made it worse.

"Daryl..." Beth stepped forward to reach out for him and he flinched away. Flexing his jaw to ease the sting in his cheek.

His stare made her feel small and she moved back, almost afraid of what he might do. There wasn't any fear of him hitting her, but there was fear he would bolt and leave her there alone. That seemed like the only escape Daryl knew in an uncomfortable position. "Say something...please." She begged. Wrapping her arms around her body.

It took Daryl several minutes to get control over himself and let out a shaky breath he hadn't known he was holding. "I dunno what to say..." He started, in a whisper. "Hell I ain't never done somethin' like this before, Beth. Already told ya, I dunno how ta let someone be close... Ain't no excuse for me bein' a dick, but I'm fuckin' scared."

Beth watched him and felt her chest swell with emotion when he admitted something so personal to her. That right there was trust and he didn't even know it. A piece of his life he claimed to of lost long ago and here it was appearing right in front of her. She only hoped she could make him understand this wasn't anything to be afraid of.

"Being close to someone isn't something you should have to fight against..." She moved forward. "It's just something you feel and you know when it feels right. Don't be afraid just because it seems different, that doesn't mean it's wrong." Beth sighed a little. "Look I'm not playing some childish head game. I've known for a long time how I feel and when I kissed you back in the trunk, it confirmed everything I ever knew to be true, at least on my part."

Daryl slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Why the hell ya even wanna bother tryin' to get close ta someone like me? Ain't nothin' good gonna come from it."

Beth shifted to sit, reaching up to grab his hand and pull him to join her. She turned to face him once he was settled. "You don't know that. I'm not asking you to sleep with me Daryl. I'm not even asking you to touch me. I'm just hoping that somewhere deep down, you'll let me show you there are still good people that you can trust and if maybe one day you want to take things further, we can. You might have to show me how since I don't have any clue what I'm doing in that department, but I'm not opposed to the idea." She guessed his distance was also based on him being afraid of how she'd react to being physical and needed him to know she wasn't going to push him away.

Daryl waited while she spoke and after she finished he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his lap, feel her warm body against his chest. Do everything he'd been telling himself not to. He swallowed hard and gave her a nod.

Beth had a better grasp on his emotions than he did and she was proving to be great at making him listen and understand things he was too stubborn to realize on his own.

"Hell, neither do I." He said with a slight smile, in response to her letting him know she didn't know what to do. Daryl had been with women, had sex, but with only a few and he would never treat Beth the same way he had them. They meant nothing like she did and if he was going to allow anything more to happen, it was going to be dealt with delicately. He cared too much to fucked that up for her.

"Guess we can both learn a thing or two from each other then." Beth was glad he seemed to be in good spirits and moved to stand. She wanted to search the house for something else to wear. Her clothes were disgusting.

"Let me ask ya somethin'." He said before she walked away. "How come ya was so afraid ta let me see ya at the river, but have no problem with me rubbin' all up on ya?"

Beth shifted to place herself directly in front of him and reached out to touch his cheek lightly where it was still red from the hit. "That was before I knew how you felt."

Daryl couldn't contain himself any longer, the soft touch throwing all restraints out the window and he snatched her wrist. Pulling her down into his lap, kissing her passionately. Something he didn't even know he was capable of doing. This kiss wasn't anything like the others they shared, so full of emotion and understanding that he groaned the instant their lips touched.

Beth fell into him completely, not holding anything back as she slid her fingers through his hair and plunged her tongue into his mouth desperately. His hands quickly moved to grip her hips, grinding her down against his erection and she moaned helplessly. Pulling back a second later to speak. "What happened to waiting?" She asked breathless, leaning forward so their foreheads touched.

Daryl shut his eyes and dug his fingers into her hips, forcing himself to keep still. "Still waitin', just needed a little somethin' to remind me what I'm waitin' for." He responded, breathing heavily. At this point he was once again tired of fighting with himself. Finally seeing what was right in front of him and that all his fears of her rejection were just his own mind creating a reason to make him stay distant. Along with him thinking this was wrong. He couldn't convince himself anymore how something that felt this good, could possibly be wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

Before Beth could respond, a sound from outside gathered their attention and they sat unmoving in silence, just listening. When nothing more followed they figured it was just a Walker stumbling about and Beth reached down to fist the front of Daryl's shirt, pulling him back to her lips. It wasn't until another sound of a car door slamming rang out that they broke apart fully.

Daryl pushed Beth forward to stand and went to grab his bow. "Stay here." He whispered, walking over to peek out the window.

He counted three men by the street in front of the house and one searching through a car parked at the edge of the yard. With The Governor and his group mostly disbanded or dead, Daryl just assumed their threat had been taken care of. It somehow slipped his mind there could possibly be other people just as violent in the area and he had no idea if they were dangerous. Far as he was concerned no one could be trusted anymore.

"What is it?" Beth asked nervously, keeping her voice low and continued standing where he left her.

Daryl turned in her direction and heard the knob on the back door jiggle. There were more of them than he first realized and that just meant they could already be spreading throughout the neighborhood. An easy escape out the front door was unlikely.

"Go." He hissed, pointing toward the bedroom and Beth didn't hesitate to take off running, Daryl at her heels.

A window breaking made Beth go pale and Daryl shoved her behind him, poking his head around the corner to see down the hallway. Two men could be heard having a conversation in the kitchen, along with cabinets slamming and dishes being tossed around. Daryl backed away, shutting the door quietly and turned to Beth. "Ya gotta hide." He insisted.

Beth was on the verge of panicking. "What about you?" She asked, gripping the handle of her knife.

"Just go!" Daryl spat and locked the door, moving himself to brace against it while Beth dove under the bed. There was no time for arguing.

The voices of the men grew louder as they approached and Beth watched Daryl press against the door harder when the handle moved. A man on the other side cursing in protest.

Beth jumped when the handle suddenly broke off and it fell to the floor. The result of someone smashing it with a blunt object and Daryl struggled to hold the door shut as they pushed forward, causing it to crack slightly. His feet slid across the carpet and his elbows started to buckle against the force of the two men. He let out a growl, trying to find any last bit of strength to hold them back and finally faltered. Dropping to the floor and rolling onto his back with his bow at the ready.

"Whoa! hey, hold up." The first man said with his hands raised. Startled to see Daryl laying there with his bow pointed in his direction. He was older with greying hair, a scruffy beard and seemed to be well fed, his round belly falling out the bottom of his shirt. The only weapon Daryl could see was a crowbar firmly clutched in his right hand.

Daryl kept his aim on the heavy man and scooted further away, still on the floor. His eyes flicking to the door when the other one entered. He was younger and had a knife in one hand and a rifle strapped to his back, Daryl instantly changed position. Focusing his attention on him instead. The gun made him uneasy and if needed he'd rather take him out first.

"No reason to start any trouble." The younger man said, in no way changing his stance to seem less threatening like his friend had. "You here all alone?" He asked with a smirk.

Daryl noticed the man's eyes had drifted over to where Beth was hiding before he asked and heard her shift. Apparently she hadn't pulled part of her body fully under the bed and he knew Daryl wasn't alone.

The older man took a step toward Beth and Daryl jumped to his feet, planting him directly in his sights and he froze. The younger one drew his rifle from behind his back and pointed it at Daryl. "Easy." He said.

The two of them stared at each other, for what seemed like forever and the young man finally broke eye contact and looked back over toward the bed. "Why don't you come on out from under there."

Beth's breath hitched when the demand was made for her and she didn't move. She didn't know these men and she didn't know if the minute she came out they wouldn't do something horrible. So she chose to stay where she was, it being the safest place she had at the moment.

The young man cleared his throat. "Alright, lets try this again." He took a step closer to Daryl, his gun about a foot away from the tip of his bow. "You either show yourself or my bullet and your friend are going to get better acquainted."

Beth felt her heart start to race at the thought of them killing Daryl and quickly shifted to slide out from under the bed. Daryl only moved to place himself between her and the danger. His stare cold, fixed on the man with the gun and ready to put a bolt through his head at the slightest change his finger made on the trigger.

"Mmm... makes sense now why you'd keep this one hidden." He bit out while sucking on his teeth, a chuckle coming from his partner. The younger of the two did a once over on Beth, clearly checking her out and Daryl clenched his jaw. "She's just a baby... sweet and innocent... my kind of bitch."

Beth swallowed down the bile that started to rise at the man's words. Unable to stop the tremble that went through her knees when she imagined what they would do if they got a hold of her. She reached out then to grab the back of Daryl's vest, her knife still clutched in her other hand. Praying Daryl had a plan to get them out of this, there was no way she stood a chance alone against the two of them.

"Unless he's been putting it to her." The older man said with a smirk, twirling the crowbar through his fingers. "Might not be as good as you're hoping."

His friend grinned and readjusted his rifle. "Only one way to find out." He took a step forward and Daryl saw his opportunity. The man made the mistake of looking back over at Beth only for a brief second and Daryl shifted, shooting his bolt through the man's eye. His gun going off as he fell and Beth yelped, ducking as the bullet crashed into the window behind them.

Daryl moved gracefully in one step as the other man approached and swung his bow into his jaw as hard as he could, knocking him back into the dresser. Reaching down for his knife at his waist, piercing the man's skull before he even knew what hit him.

His body fell limp instantly and tumbled to the floor, joining his partner as Beth stood there frozen. Shocked to be that close to the scene she'd just witnessed and how close the bullet had come to hitting her. At first she didn't even notice Daryl grabbing her arm and tugging her toward the window, until he paused and placed a hand on her cheek.

"Beth!" He snapped, trying to get her to pay attention. She blinked, her first instinct to look back at the men on the floor, but he made her stay focused on him. "We have to go." He insisted, moving to slide the window open and knocking the screen out.

"Move yer ass!" Daryl yelled when she was still standing there, afraid at any moment the rest of their group would be drawn to the sound of the gun going off. Along with any Walkers in the area.

Beth finally started to climb out the window. Her body only moving at Daryl's shoving, her mind still in a daze.

Once their feet hit the ground, Daryl placed his hand on Beth's back and had to push her forward to get her to start running toward the woods. As they got closer to being hidden by the trees, Daryl spotted two men in the distance rounding the house and felt the sting before he heard the shot fired.

"Daryl!" Beth yelled as he stumbled and fell to the ground, her heart stopping. She knew he'd been hit from the look of pain spread across his face, but didn't know where, not until she saw the blood seeping through his fingers pressed just below his hip. When she moved to kneel, he pushed her away, clinching his jaw and forcing himself to stand.

"Go." He hissed and tried to block out the throb that was sent through his left side every time he took a step. They had to get out of there before they ended up getting killed.

Beth bit her lip with worry and hooked her arm around his, trying to move him along with the least amount of pain possible.

"Here, sit." Beth said once they reached the river, having back tracked from the day before. She looked around just to be sure they hadn't been followed, even though she hadn't seen anyone the last mile they traveled.

Daryl wasted no time hobbling to the edge of the water and laying down on his back with a groan, still holding his hip. Beth came over and moved his hand out of the way to see how bad the wound was, but his jeans blocked most of the view. She looked up to let him know he'd have to pull his pants down, but he was already unbuckling his belt.

She moved away then to tug her shirt over her head and soaked it in the river, ringing it out slightly before returning to where Daryl was laying. He'd been in the process of sliding his pants down and Beth could tell it was hurting him to do so.

Grabbing his wrist gently, she stopped him from moving further. "Lay back." She insisted and he dropped his head to the ground, placing a hand over his face without a word.

Beth carefully shifted his pants down low enough to gain access to the wound, but hesitated when she also needed to move his boxers out of the way. After telling herself he wasn't going to mind, she reached up to grab the elastic and slid them down also.

The wound was about three inches below his waist line, on the start of his leg and that meant his pants were down far enough to give her a nice view of the thin layer of hair trailing down his stomach, into his pubic area and his beautiful hips that still made her go weak.

Making sure to keep him covered enough to not embarrass him and to keep her focused on his injury, she placed the wet shirt against the tender flesh and started cleaning off the blood the best she could.

Daryl tensed at the contact and cursed, wincing each time she had to wipe or dab at the wound. Thinking he would of found the whole experience of her sitting there in only her bra and his pants down far enough to almost see everything, much more enjoyable had he not been in so much pain.

"Sorry." Beth apologized, wincing along with him each time he jerked or flinched.

"S'alright." Daryl said softly, keeping his eyes closed and trying to concentrate on anything other than what she was doing.

After most of the blood was wiped away, Beth leaned forward to get a better look and sighed in relief. The bullet passed right through the skin, leaving a good chunk of flesh missing, but at least it wasn't lost somewhere inside him. The only problem now was she didn't have anything to use to close the wound or cover it.

"I need your shirt." She demanded, it was their best option and he always wore more layers than anyone needed in the summer.

Daryl sighed and rubbed his face before sitting up enough to start shedding his clothes. Tossing his vest to the side, he handed her his shirt once it was removed and went back to laying.

She took her knife out and cut the shirt into pieces to be able to wrap around his leg, leaving enough material to use as a pad to soak up anymore blood until they could find proper medical supplies. When she pulled the makeshift bandage tightly against his skin to tie in a knot Daryl bit his lip and growled, his body instinctively jerking away from what was causing the pain.

Beth tried to offer him comfort and placed her hand on his uninjured hip, sliding it across his stomach.

Daryl's muscles flexed under her touch and he sucked in a breath, reaching down to wrap his fingers around hers. "Thanks for fixin' me up." He offered.

"I should be thanking you...had you not been back at the house, who knows what those men would of done to me..." She swallowed, trying her best to hide how scared she was.

"Hey, we made it out of there." Daryl reminded her as he shifted to sit up more, squeezing her hand.

"You got shot Daryl! You could have died. I could of been used as some kind of sex slave and tortured by those sick fucks. It's bad enough we have to constantly fear the dead when in the end we're still losing more to the living and I'm tired of it. I'm tired of running." Beth reached up to wipe at her eyes, telling herself to not cry, to not get upset, but she was ready for whatever messed up joke the world had become to be over and done with. Her father had been killed over nothing more than a grown man having a temper tantrum and it wasn't fair. She didn't know whether or not Maggie survived the attack on the prison and if she had, actually finding her was next to impossible. Daryl was all she had left and he'd almost been killed right in front of her.

Beth stood and threw her bloody shirt as far into the woods as she could, telling herself to get it together. She couldn't have a mental breakdown when they needed to find somewhere safe to go. "Can you walk?" She asked, reaching a hand out to help him stand.

Daryl took her hand and stood, trying to readjust his body in a position to where he could move comfortably and pulled her against him. He knew she was upset and after everything she'd just done for him, the least he could do was try to make her feel better.

"Wanna know a secret?" He asked while she wrapped her arms around his waist carefully.

"Sure." She replied, burying her face against his chest and inhaling deeply. His scent and warmth already helping to calm her.

Daryl held her for a moment before reaching down to place a finger under her chin, making her look at him. "You were the first person ta hold me after the world went ta shit." The memory was always close in his mind, the moment she hugged him after telling her about Zach. Even though at the time he flinched away, unfamiliar with the gesture, it was one of his best memories of her until now.

It took Beth a second to realize exactly what he was talking about and she smiled. Squeezing him just a bit tighter.

"Wanna know another secret?" He asked with a grin, glad to see her smiling.

She gave him a nod, not sure if what he had to say would be any better than the last one he shared, but she was interested.

"The view I got right now is killin' me." Daryl chuckled and watched as her eyes followed his and she finally realize he could see right down the top of her bra.

Beth blushed and shoved him away gently with a laugh. "You're delirious, come on."


	6. Chapter 6

Moving through the woods keeping a pace Daryl was comfortable with, they eventually found safety in an abandoned shack that Daryl and Michonne had come across months ago on a run. Located in the back was an old Moonshine still and enough jars of the alcohol to keep them drunk for a good year. With no intentions of actually drinking the stuff, Beth carried some inside to clean out Daryl's wound.

When the very first drop of the liquid touched his skin Daryl hissed and insisted on trying to drink enough of the alcohol to tolerate the sting before letting her continue. So while he worked on getting a buzz, Beth looked around for supplies and thankfully came across a first aid kit tucked away under the sink.

After he was good and tipsy Beth took what was left of the bandages from the kit and patched him up the best she could without actually giving him stitches, even though he needed them. She figured he wouldn't let her go near him to attempt them anyways, not after sitting there for so long with the burn of the alcohol on his flesh and the constant moving of her hands against the wound.

The run down shack didn't have a bed or anywhere for them to lay really other than an old recliner placed by the door and that's where they were now. Cuddled up together on their sides with Daryl pressed against Beth's back, trying to get some rest.

Daryl had only been asleep a few minutes when out of nowhere a wave of pleasure washed over. Making him stir slightly and wrap his arm around Beth's waist tighter. Unaware the cause of his pleasure was Beth shifting around beside him trying to get comfortable.

It wasn't until she moved just the right way that he groaned and snapped his eyes open, realizing what was happening and gripped her hip to push her away from his newly formed arousal. "Stop." He growled, still in pain from being shot and irritated he'd been woken up.

"Stop what?" Beth huffed, also irritated with the fact her stomach was currently trying to eat itself and keeping her awake.

"Wigglin' yer ass all up on me." His finger hooked around her belt loop when she tried to roll over to face him, keeping her still. "Quit dammit."

Beth sighed. "What do you want me to do Daryl? There's like two feet here for us to share, we're gonna have to touch each other. If you let me go I'll find somewhere else to sleep."

Daryl rubbed his eyes with his free hand and unhooked his finger, but instead of moving his hand away he slid it down her thigh a few inches and squeezed. "Ain't nowhere else ta sleep." Truth was he liked having her this close. Having her warmth against his chest and feeling her body rise and fall with each breath she took, but the last two days he'd slowly been torturing himself with having her touch him and now wasn't the time to get worked up again, not being able to do anything. His injury gave them limited options to start with and as much as he wanted her, he was still scared to take her that way.

"Then deal with it." Beth spat, intentionally thrusting her ass against him when she snuggled into the arm of the chair.

Daryl grunted and leaned forward, placing a nervous kiss on the back of her shoulder, then the crook of her neck and up to whisper in her ear. "Ya tryin' ta kill me?" He figured if he got mad and told her to stop again she'd actually go somewhere else, so he tried a more honest approach.

Beth shivered at his lips on her neck. "Maybe..."

Daryl chuckled. "Knowin' my ass can't do nothin'?" He rubbed his hand back up her leg and over to rest his palm flat against her stomach.

"Why can't you?" She asked boldly, her breathing already picking up slightly from his breath against her ear, a sensation she didn't know could turn her on.

"Cus the first damn time ya accidentally touch my hip, I'm libel ta hit ya." He joked, his mood changing from the grumpy state he'd woken up in, to a more relaxed one.

"Wanna know a secret?" Beth asked, using the same words he'd chosen at the river.

"Yeah." Daryl wasn't sure why, but he felt at ease cuddled up with her and pressed his nose against her neck, nuzzling her there. Either the Moonshine had loosened him up or he actually was delirious from blood loss, but he didn't care.

Beth hummed softly. "I like being like this with you."

Daryl smiled against her skin. "Is this what it's suppose ta feel like lettin' someone get close?"

"Depends. How do you feel?" She asked.

He paused for a moment to think it over.

"I guess...Happy." It was the only word he could use to describe it. Even after everything they'd been through, right at that moment he actually felt happy with his arm wrapped around her. He leaned forward then, just enough to nip at her neck.

Beth reached up behind her to thread her fingers into his hair, trying not to moan. "How come you can tease me, but I can't tease you?" She was originally going to say something about his progress in trusting her and that it meant a lot, but kept getting distracted by his wonderful mouth.

"This ain't nothin' I can show ya teasin'." He threatened, flicking his tongue out to lick where he'd just bit, not sure where in their conversation he'd gotten comfortable with such actions, but he was already planning to blame the alcohol if she questioned it.

"Oh really?" She grinned even though he couldn't see her face and rocked her hips against him.

Daryl bit his lip to keep from making a sound, knowing she only did it to get a rise out him and slowly drifted his hand down her stomach to do something he'd been forcing himself not to. In one swift movement he popped the button on her jeans and went for her zipper with a shaky hand. Growing nervous as he slid it down.

At first he didn't realize Beth had gotten quiet, tensing the moment his hand touched her jeans. All his attention had been focused on keeping himself together and when he finally felt her heart pounding against his chest he stopped. Moving his hand to rest just below her belly button. His fingers brushing over some of the newly exposed skin.

"Ya alright?" He whispered, his mouth right by her ear. His own body feeding off the way hers was reacting and starting to make him wonder if he took things too far. He knew she was a virgin and inexperienced and he definitely wasn't an expert in that department, but if either of them were going to take a step forward he figured he'd have to be the one to initiate it.

Beth swallowed hard enough that it echoed through the silence and eventually gave him a nod, letting him know she was fine.

He wasn't convinced.

"Beth?" Keeping his voice low and gentle, he gathered her attention and rubbed small circles on her stomach with his thumb, trying to get her to calm down. "I ain't gonna do somethin' ya don't want me to, but ya gotta let me know." He placed a kiss on her neck. "Ain't gonna be mad if ya tell me ta stop."

"No...don't stop, I just got nervous." She wanted him to continue more than anything. She wasn't entirely sure what he'd been in the process of doing, but the thought of what it could be excited and scared her. She'd never had someone make her feel the way he did and every little brush against her skin made her tingle with anticipation.

Daryl lifted his head to suck just below her ear, right at her jaw and glided his fingers across her abdomen to snake his hand under her jeans. At first ghosting over her hip, lightly touching the skin there to feel it react under his hand with goosebumps.

"Just relax." He breathed, kissing her cheek when she tensed again as his fingers slid over her panties.

Making sure to avoid her most sensitive area, he did exactly what he said he was going to do and teased her. Massaging her inner thigh, drifting higher with each stroke, but never quite reaching where she was aching for contact. Her breathing had picked up and he knew she was slowly giving in to him and starting to relax.

"Kiss me." Daryl demanded, trying to ease an ache of his own by carefully pressing his throbbing member flush against her ass.

Beth gasped when she felt his want and didn't hesitate to turn her head just enough to catch his mouth. Biting his lip gently before allowing him access inside to meet her tongue.

Daryl took his time kissing her, slowly sneaking his hand between her legs and brushing his fingers against her folds through her panties. Groaning loudly into her when he felt how soaked the material was, almost losing his load right there in his pants.

Beth broke away from him and dropped her head back against his shoulder with a moan. Her hips flexing against his hand involuntary, a feeling she'd never experienced before flooding her core.

The slightest touch was already making her a quivering mess and she reached down to grab his wrist, making him press against her harder.

Daryl bit down on her shoulder to keep his body from over reacting and she hissed in pain, bucking against his hand again as it mixed with pleasure.

He had to stop, her little sounds and movements were pushing him to the point of no return and he was in no position to give her what he truly wanted. He pulled his hand away suddenly. Sliding his fingertips up her bare arm.

"Why'd you stop?" She protested with a ragged breath, rolling just enough to see his face. His beautiful blue eyes dark with desire, making her shiver.

"Only said I was gonna show ya how ta tease." He replayed with a grin. His hand continuing up her arm to eventually rest on her cheek.

"But, you want more." She whispered, making Daryl jerk when she somehow managed to sneak her hand between them to rub over his bulge through his jeans.

Daryl tensed at the contact, trapping a groan in his throat that threatened to escape. "You have no idea...but it ain't happenin'." Reaching down he grabbed her hand gently to remove it from between them.

Almost a week had passed since Daryl had been injured and him and Beth were now hold up in an old storage unit. Five days they'd been there and in that time they managed to move a bunch of random junk into one of the bigger units to temporarily live in. Including a queen sized mattress, a small sofa, a dresser, a gas stove, lots of clothes that made Beth squeal like a little girl and plenty of canned goods to hold them over for several weeks. It amazed them all the random stuff people randomly tossed into storage, but Beth loved it every time they got the chance to look through a new one.

Life was slowly coming together for the couple. The fences held nicely and in the short time there they only witnessed a small build up of maybe seven Walkers. Their only fear right then was the possibility of the living stumbling upon them, taking what they had or even a more savage group trying to collect young women much like the one they ran into when Daryl got shot.

They stayed smart though, keeping bags packed in case they had to make a run for it, making sure all escape routes were clear and even had a working vehicle with a very low tank of gas to use as a last resort, also stocked with supplies.

Nothing more between Beth and Daryl happened when it came to being physical, not since their night at the run down shack and Beth had it in her mind at this point he'd only gone so far because he was intoxicated. She didn't bother pushing for an explanation or trying to be close again, figuring if he wanted to, he would.

At night they would share the bed and sometimes touch, but he never kissed her or took anything further than wrapping his arm around her waist. It didn't bother her so much that he hadn't wanted to be physical, but more the fact she felt they'd fallen two steps back in the progress they made at opening up with one another.

"Wanna play cards?" Beth asked from the sofa. It currently storming and she was going stir crazy. They'd been locked inside their unit for most of the day with the door drawn half way to keep the rain out and she couldn't even entertain herself with looking at their surroundings. All she could see was water splashing against the pavement and the enjoyment of that died after the first ten minutes.

Daryl was sitting on top of the dresser with his back against the wall messing with his crossbow, completely lost in thought and jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. He looked over to see if she was actually serious and sighed at the sight of the cards. "Not really."

Beth frowned. "What is with you lately?" She'd been telling herself she wouldn't push, but she was getting sick of his distant behavior.

"Not a damn thing." He grumbled, looking back at the metal door.

She rolled her eyes and stood to walk passed him and over to the mattress. "Could of fooled me." She replied, kicking her boots off to sit down in the corner against the wall. Shuffling the cards to play a game alone.

They sat in silence for a while, Daryl listening to Beth move around each time she shuffled the deck and just kept to himself until he couldn't take the boredom anymore. With a swing of his legs he removed himself from the dresser and flopped down on the edge mattress beside her without a word.

Beth raised her brow at his sudden appearance. "Can I help you?"

"Just shut up and deal me a hand." He mumbled while trying to untie his boots. Not wanting to get where they slept filthy.

"What are we even playing? Go Fish?" She asked with a huff. His mood was more confusing than most women she'd known.

Daryl scoffed. "Really...Go Fish?"

"Then what? Poker?" Her hands fumbled with the deck while she waited for a reply to know what she was dealing.

"Alright, ya know how ta play?" Daryl pulled up a pillow to prop his arm against.

Beth narrowed her eyes, like he'd just asked her the most ridiculous question in the world.

"Don't give me that look." He scolded, wrinkling his forehead.

She started to deal the cards and just as quick as she passed them out, she scooped them back up. "You know what?...No. You don't get to be a jackass and then come over here like we're best friends." She tossed the deck against his chest, the cards going everywhere. "You've hardly even looked at me since we left that dump in the middle of the nowhere."

Daryl flinched when the cards went flying, stunned. "Calm the fuck down. I came over here didn't I?"

"You made it pretty clear you didn't want to, so don't strain yourself acting like you care." She moved to stand, kicking some cards away from her feet. "I'm tired of you pushing me away and then at night pulling me close to fulfill whatever it is you want from me and acting like everything's OK."

Daryl got frustrated then and grabbed her wrist, yanking her back down onto the mattress, shifting himself to lean over her. "So just cus I ain't fucked ya yet, you think I'm pushin' ya away? That it?" His words came out mixed with a growl.

Beth hissed when he jerked on her arm, it causing a pain in her elbow. "The fact you're pushing me away is the reason I think it!" She shoved at his chest when he leaned forward. "I don't know why you feel like shutting me out is going to fix whatever it is you're dealing with, but its bullshit. If I've done something wrong just tell me instead of hiding in silence. We're in this together and I can't keep sitting around waiting for you to realize you made a mistake. When you've finally decided you're tired of dragging around another dead girl." She shoved against him again when he didn't move. "Get off of me!"

"No!" Daryl barked, surprising himself at the tone he used. "Yer gonna lay there and listen ta what I got ta say." He knew it was unlike him to force anyone to do something they didn't want to, but he needed her to listen.


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl glared, waiting to see if she would let him speak and when she kept quiet he continued. "First off, ya didn't do anythin' wrong. Second ya ain't just some dead girl! My dumb ass just doesn't know how ta show ya how important ya are."

"Didn't have that problem after you got shot." Beth reminded him, clearly remembering the tender moment he gave her that night in the recliner. She reached up to remove his hand from her shoulder that was holding her there and he wouldn't budge, irritating her further. "Let go!" She yelled, feeling trapped and didn't hesitate at all when she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Trying to make him move.

Daryl flinched at the hit and growled, his cheek and the side of his mouth stinging instantly. "Dammit Beth!" He cursed, probably deserving worse than a slap with the way he was treating her, but he didn't care right then. His hands found her wrists to keep from getting hit any more and held them at her sides. He was going to make her pay attention whether she liked it or not. "Now... if yer ready to listen, i'll let ya go soon as I'm done sayin' what I need ta say, alright?"

Beth just huffed and gave up her struggle, knowing she couldn't over power him.

"Women like you don't just fall for pieces of shit like me and it's only a matter of time before yer ass realizes it. That night made me see I ain't no good for ya. Yer innocent and kind and I ain't nothin' but a mess, hell I can't even figure out how ta open up around ya and every time I start to, I remind myself ya deserve better." His eyes drifted away from hers a second while he struggled with his next words. Opening and closing his mouth a few times before actually speaking. "Ain't never felt this way 'bout nobody and I don't think I could bare to lose ya...when ya see I ain't never gonna be what ya need."

Beth watched as his face fell above her and felt her chest tighten with regret. She should of never questioned him, never hit him again, none of it. She felt terrible.

"So I told myself if I didn't say or do nothin', then I didn't have anythin' ta fuck up. Well...we both see where that shit got me." His grip loosened on her slightly, but not enough to let her slip free, just enough to be able to rub his thumb across the raised scar on her wrist. Knowing she could of ended it all back on the farm and he wouldn't have this moment with her, but he watched her fight to live. He watched her do it every day.

"Daryl?" She whispered his name to get his focus back on her, waiting for him to make eye contact. "Don't pull away because you're scared. I may need you in my life for certain things to survive, but I also want you here. I want you to tell me your secrets, to share my own with you, to feel you against me...I even want the dirt and grime that comes with its very own package of swear words." She couldn't help but smile then. "I knew what type of person I was growing attached to before you even knew anything about the man you are. Before I'd ever even spoke to you. Back then I thought it was a silly crush, but when I saw you hold Judith for the first time I knew." She slipped a hand free to reach up and brush his shaggy bangs from his eyes. "If I deserve better, then I'm not gonna go looking for it. I've known for a long time what I want and you aren't going to change my mind. I'm more worried about you freaking out and shutting down, turning back into the person you used to be."

Daryl stared at her for several minutes just listening and when she was finished his first reaction was to lean down and kiss her, but Beth quickly turned her head and reached up to place a hand on his mouth. "Oh no you don't. I don't know if I can handle this anymore. If you kiss me, you better mean it and deal with whatever comes after. No more running...no more pushing me away."

He shook his head. "Not gonna push ya away no more...but I ain't perfect, still tryin' ta figure this shit out."

"I know...and I'm sorry I hit you again..." Her voice was soft and honest, he could tell her apology was genuine.

Daryl shrugged. "I deserved it." He reached down to grab a card he noticed was laying by her head, licked it and stuck it to her cheek before standing. "Gonna go make a round real fast before it starts pourin' again. Deal us a hand for when I get back?"

Beth smiled at his childish behavior, thinking it was much better than him closing up and gave him a nod.

After he pulled his boots on, gathered his gear and slipped outside, Beth reached up to remove the card from her cheek with a sigh. She flipped it over when she went to pick up the rest and saw it was the 2 of hearts. Whether he'd chosen that one specifically or it was just coincidence, it made her grin.

Daryl took his time to check the fences, making sure no one had cut holes in them, also making sure the Walkers weren't building up and causing them to buckle. There never were many and he always made sure to take out the ones close by with his knife to keep that from happening. He also walked around the huge building that housed all the storage units. Checking their exits along with taking note of the newest units they would be searching through the following day. Their vehicle was still packed up and right where they left it. Everything had been smooth with surviving since they arrived, but he made sure not to get too comfortable and let his guard down. The only struggles they faced were with each other and Daryl hoped their little chat made them understand one another a little better.

Daryl wasn't used to having to stay close, worrying about someone else and never getting a moment to himself. Doing the daily rounds was about the only time he would step away from her, but it was never for long. Back at the prison there were enough people to keep an eye on each other and he could sneak away to be alone. Go hunt, hide away in the guard toward and just get away from everything, but now Beth consumed every part of him, even in the rare chance he did get to himself. She was always there in his mind.

Lightening flashed in the distance bringing him out of his thoughts and soon the thunder followed. He only had one more thing to check and made it quick since the rain started to pick up again.

He'd probably only been away from her about twenty minutes and by the time he finally returned he was soaked. Running back inside and slamming the metal door shut to keep the storm out.

Beth jumped at the sound of it crashing against the cement, not hearing his footsteps as he approached due to the rain.

"Daryl?" She spoke softly, the room pitch black and she hadn't seen who ran in. She found the handle of her knife that she kept close and gripped it tightly, waiting for whoever it was to make themselves known.

Daryl pulled his zippo from his pocket and flicked it to life, lighting up the darkness enough to find some candles. "Sorry, forgot how dark it gets in here with the door closed." Once he found a candle to light he dropped his zippo beside it and went to make sure the door was secure so it couldn't be open from the outside. He didn't plan on going back out until tomorrow and wanted them safe from any dangerous visitors or looters.

Beth sighed in relief when it was him and slipped her knife back under her pillow. She hadn't moved from the mattress other than to gather up the stray cards that were scattered about on the floor.

Daryl tossed his bow onto the couch and went to get some dry clothes, pulling the sheet down they hung to allow each other privacy and changed quickly. He hung up his wet clothes to let them dry and walked over to where Beth was sitting on the mattress, lighting a few more candles along the way.

"Was everything alright out there?" She asked when he sat down, still holding the deck in her hand.

"Other than the rain, yeah." Daryl shifted to get comfortable. "Still wanna play?" He asked, pointing at the cards.

"Poker right?" She asked.

He gave her a nod.

As she was dealing them out she paused and looked over to catch his eyes, coming up with an idea. "Since we don't have anything to bet, how about if you lose...you have to tell the winner a secret?"

Daryl took his cards she dealt and shrugged. "Alright." He played a lot of Poker growing up and couldn't really see her getting much information out of him this way. "Wait...like randomly just share a secret? or the winner gets ta ask the loser anythin' they want?"

She thought about it a minute. "I guess being able to ask a question would be easier than just randomly thinking of something to share. We'll go with that. If you win you get to ask the loser anything you want, deal?"

"Deal." He looked at his cards then and waited until she was ready.

The first game went by fast, Daryl winning with no problem and he smirked at the small victory. Now he just had to think of something to ask her. He scooped up the cards since he would be dealing next and idly shuffled them around in his hands while he thought of a question.

Beth waited and after he didn't say anything she spoke up. "Really, anything you wanna know. I'll answer honestly, no matter how weird or personal."

His eyes watched her and he reached out to grab her hand, turning her wrist over to expose her scar. "Why'd ya do it?"

Beth dropped her eyes from his and gently removed her wrist out of his hold. Bringing it to rest in her lap, lightly wrapping her hand over the old gash. "I was weak... Everyone around us were dying, the dead were in our back yard trying to eat us. There was no escaping it. Figured I wouldn't last long anyways." She shrugged. "Wanted to do it again after the farm...but I watched how the others fought to survive and we started to get our lives back, gaining a little control, I wasn't going to let them win... Besides if I had succeeded I wouldn't of been able to enjoy your company anymore." She smiled and nudged his leg with her foot. Trying to lighten the mood after telling him something depressing.

Daryl listened and gathered a bit more understanding into the woman laid out in front of him. He didn't really have a response to what she'd told him, so he started dealing the next hand, nudging her leg back as he held his cards and worked on his strategy.

He ended up winning again and Beth huffed dramatically, tossing her cards at the pile in defeat.

Daryl chuckled and handed her the deck after cleaning the cards up from the mattress. "This is too easy."

Beth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, rub it in. Go on, ask away."

He rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin. "Ya ever seen a man naked?" He blushed, but the information would help him for when they took that step forward.

Beth kept her attention on the blanket under them that she was currently picking at. She knew the questions could get uncomfortable, but those were the rules. "Not in person...I've seen pictures. Plus Maggie has told me more than I ever needed to know."

"Like what ya saw?" He asked with a grin.

"That's two questions, but since I'm feeling nice I'll answer...lets just say that's what sealed the deal on my sexuality." Not that she ever questioned it, but it definitely informed her of just how much she did like it.

Daryl felt himself go hard and he shifted so she wouldn't notice, surprising himself at how much it turned him on to know she liked a mans body. He quickly passed out the cards to distract his mind from wandering.

Beth actually ended up winning the next round and she made a show of excitement over beating him. "Hmmm." She thought while playing with her lower lip, Daryl's eyes watching her fingers intently. "You ever have dirty thoughts about any of the women back at the prison?"

He was glad the light surrounding them was dim enough to hide how red his face was. His hand going up to scratch at the back of his neck. "Yeah..."

"Who?" Beth asked, replacing her fingers on her lip with her teeth.

"What happened to one question?" He lifted his eyes to see her and almost groaned at her biting her lip. She had no idea how sexy she looked.

"I told you more than I should of, remember?" She pointed out with a smirk.

Daryl sighed, trying to be a man and not let this little game embarrass him. "Carol...at first. Before I stopped fightin' with myself...had a hell of a time keeping ya out of my head. Just felt wrong when I first met ya, you were so young...but damn if my body didn't react every time I saw ya ass in those shorts that let ya legs travel for miles...made me feel like some damn pervert."

Beth felt her breathing pick up and she flicked her tongue out to lick her lower lip, not even noticing she'd done it, but he did. "You ever touch yourself while you had those thoughts?" She asked boldly.

Neither one of them were even paying attention to playing cards anymore. The game had turned into a free for all, just ask whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted.

Daryl fist his hand into the blanket, wishing he could relieve some of the pressure in his pants. The way she kept doing things with her mouth was driving him crazy and he couldn't tear his eyes away from it. "Sometimes" He choked out.

Once Beth realized what he'd just told her, she bit down on her lip again to hold back a moan and he almost lost it. "For the love of God stop, please..." He begged, not being able to help it anymore he reached down to press his palm against his throbbing hard on and readjust himself. A part of him didn't even care if she saw, hoping it would make her feel the same way he was feeling right then.

Beth's eyes drifted down his body when he shifted and started to feel that familiar ache between her legs when she caught a glimpse of the bulge in his pants. She had imagined what he would look like naked on more than one occasion and was dying to see what lay hidden beyond the material of his jeans, to feel him against her without the barriers of their clothing. She'd been lucky to see most of him while caring for his wound, but she needed more.

"What did you think about?" She asked in a whisper nervously, ignoring his pleading for her to stop whatever it was she was doing that had gotten him so worked up.

Daryl couldn't take it anymore. He'd been sitting there the last five minutes trying to find a reason why he shouldn't do what he was thinking about doing and each time he thought he had a good reason, he realized he had nothing. He couldn't find a single damn reason to convince himself not to reach out and touch her and that's exactly what he did. When he finally finished arguing with himself he reached up to place his hand on the back of her neck, slowly pulling her forward. "I can show ya...if you'll let me..." His voice was low and husky, his lips brushing against hers he was so close.


	8. Chapter 8

"Please..." Beth whimpered, causing him to close the distance between them and crush his lips to hers. He'd been holding back since she made it clear she didn't want him to kiss her unless he meant it, unless he was ready to deal with everything that followed and he was, he was more than ready and wasted no time sliding his tongue into her mouth as he shifted them to where she was on her back with him settled between her legs, grinding himself against her core.

When Beth moved her hips against him and moaned, he pulled away, kissing down the side of her neck softly, licking at the last bit of uncovered skin before reaching the collar of her shirt.

"This has to go..." Daryl growled, moving to grasp the hem of the dreaded material of her shirt, but tensed when she wrapped her hand around his, making him look up to catch the presence of doubt in her eyes. His heart stopped when she took in a deep breath and pushed on his shoulder, sliding out from under him to sit up.

Daryl waited in silence, resting back on his knees, knowing for sure he'd crossed a line and she was pushing him away for good. He was ready to apologize, to do anything to let her know he hadn't meant to rush, but his voice was lost when she surprised him and removed her shirt herself, throwing it over her head.

Once the article of clothing vanished behind them somewhere Daryl noticed she didn't make another move. She just sat there fiddling with her hands like she was embarrassed to see the look on his face.

"Hey." Daryl whispered, sliding a finger under her chin to bring her lips to his for a tender kiss. "All ya gotta do is say the words. Alright? Ain't gonna do nothin' if it makes ya uncomfortable."

Beth gave him a nod and nervously shifted to sit on her knees, placing herself directly in front of him. "I just don't know what to do..." She admitted, blushing a deep shade of red, hating the constant reminder of how inexperienced she was at this.

"Ya do whatever ya wanna do." He told her while removing his own shirt. He reached down to grab her hand to place it on his chest, figuring if he gave her control of the situation it would help her gain a little more confidence.

Beth paused at his gesture and bit her lip before sliding her hands down his chest and over his abs. She'd seen most of his body already, but actually getting to touch him was a whole different experience. She didn't know until then though that having his hard body under her finger tips would turn her on as much as it did and she moaned helplessly, licking her lips like he was the most delicious thing she'd ever seen.

"This is what you used to fantasize about?" She asked, leaning forward to bite his nipple, trying something she thought might get a rise out of him.

Daryl jumped at the sudden bite and hissed, curling his fingers into her hair. "Part of it..." He was already getting worked up to a point where he was having trouble breathing and she'd barely touched him.

Beth started to relax the longer she traced his muscles and slid her tongue across his other nipple while sneaking her hand between them, rubbing against the front of his jeans firmly where his throbbing hard on was begging for contact.

Daryl growled and bucked into her hand, not knowing where this innocent sweet girl had learned to tease, but she was making it difficult for him to concentrate. All he wanted to do right then was rip the rest of her clothes off and pound her into the mattress, but he cared too much to treat her like the other women he'd been with in the past.

To make matters worse he was starting to regret ever telling her she could do whatever she wanted when she squeezed him through his jeans and almost made him ruin the whole thing by cumming in his pants.

He groaned and quickly grabbed her hand to pull it away. "Ya keep that up and this will be over before it starts."

Beth gave him a silent nod with a hint of a smile, glad she seemed to be doing something right and lifted her head to give him a quick kiss before reaching around to unclasp her bra. It fell loose, slowly sliding down her shoulders to soon be lost with the rest of their clothing.

Daryl let his eyes drift down her body the second her perfect perky breasts fell from their cloth prison and he swallowed hard. His chest tightening with a feeling he'd never experienced and suddenly he was the one that was scared. He snapped his attention back to her face, unable to continue his voyage of her body and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Beth stared at him, trying to figure out what was going through his head with the reaction he'd had and started to panic. She didn't know if she did something wrong or if he didn't like what he saw, she just knew something wasn't right and wrapped her arms around her bare chest to cover herself with a worried expression.

"Don't" Daryl said, finally speaking and reached out to make her uncover herself. When she did he pulled her against him, skin to skin and pressed his lips to hers briefly.

"Lay back." Daryl demanded, not knowing what had happened with the new way he was feeling, but he couldn't bare that look on her face any longer.

She went as instructed and stretched out with her arms above her head, her legs on either side of his so he was between hers again and waited while he looked her over. His hand moved down after he'd seen enough and brushed a strand of blonde curly hair out of her face.

"Yer so damn beautiful." He told her, his Adam's apple bobbing the more nervous he got. He couldn't recall a time he'd ever said that to anyone, but he needed her to hear it coming from him. He would never fully understand what she saw in him or how he got lucky enough to have the sweet young woman that she was in his life this way, but he wasn't going to question it. He told himself from then on out he was going to do whatever he could to stay the man he was apparently too blind to see, the man she claimed to of been interested in for far longer than he ever expected.

When her face fell at his comment and she looked as if she might cry he moved to trail his fingers down her arm, dipping his head at the same time to catch a nipple between his lips, sucking lightly.

Beth didn't know how to respond to his words, it was a side of him she'd rarely seen and a side he really only allowed himself to show Judith, so the sudden drop of his walls tugged at her heart in a way that made tears prick the back of eyes. She was thankful though when he didn't say anything more, because she wasn't sure she could hold back the overwhelming feeling he'd created and was even more thankful at the new sensation that flooded her senses when he took her nipple into his mouth. The shudder that rocked through her went all the way to her toes and she moaned loudly, scratching her nails down his back and then shifted her hands to grip his hair when he offered the same attention to her other breast.

Daryl continued to tease her with his mouth by sliding his tongue down her stomach to place a sweet kiss below her belly button and moved his hands carefully, slowly unbuttoning her pants while keeping his eyes locked on hers to be able to tell if she was going to protest, when she didn't he unzipped them.

He nipped at her newly exposed hip bone as he grabbed her jeans and slid them down her legs in one swift movement. Going for her panties next, he paused after hooking his fingers over the elastic at her waist. "This alright?" He asked, kissing her thigh.

Beth sucked at her lip as she watched him and even though she was nervous for him to see all of her, she gave him a nod.

Daryl understood her uncertainty, easily picking up on it from the way she looked at him, but that was expected. He was the first man she allowed to get this close and knew she would need a moment to get comfortable with being looked at, so he took his time. Slowly sliding the material down her legs while following it with kisses all the way to her ankle. He wanted to sit up and get a good view of her once she was completely naked, but forced himself not to. It wouldn't help her relax having him stare.

Beth had bent her legs slightly, pressing her thighs together to keep herself hidden when she didn't have anything else to hide behind and he moved to kiss her knee lovingly. "Look at me." He whispered, waiting for her to open her eyes. When she did he slid a hand between her knees and pushed her legs apart so he could lay on his stomach and lightly brush his lips against her inner thigh.

Daryl held eye contact with her, watching as her chest would rise and fall the more worked up she got and he didn't hesitate at all to flick his tongue out to taste her, licking directly between her slick folds and over her clit.

Her taste alone about did him in, causing him to groan loudly as she bucked against him, crying out with a sound that sent a wave of pleasure straight between his legs.

He reached up to place a hand on her hip to keep her still while he nipped and sucked at her sensitive bundle of nerves, loving the little sounds she would make and how she would pull at his hair, pushing him harder against her.

Beth didn't know what to do, she couldn't even think straight. All she could do was grab a hold of him and hope he never stopped. Every single part of her body felt alive and alert, sitting on edge and making her toes curl.

"Daryl..." She gasped, wanting to tell him how he was making her feel, but fell short at just his name.

Daryl grinned against her, thinking the way she said his name was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard and he wanted nothing more than to hear it again. He moved a hand between them to slide a finger inside her and had to pull his mouth away to bite down on the side of her leg with a growl at how tight she was. Just one finger had her clenching around him so hard that he knew it would be impossible for him to fit with her the way he wanted to.

Beth hissed at his bite, it hurting a lot more than she expected and tugged his hair enough to make him pull away and look at her.

"You OK?" She asked, easing her grip when she noticed him wince.

"Fuck..." He panted, opening his eyes to see her. "Shit...I'm sorry..." He apologized and kissed the red mark he'd left on her leg, feeling guilty, but to keep her distracted and not completely ruin the moment he slowly started moving his finger in and out of her.

Apparently she hadn't been too far gone because the second his tongue slid over her clit, she cried out and jerked against him as she came. Her muscles tightened around his finger like a vice, but he kept moving his hand and sucking at her until she went still.

With one last kiss he removed his finger and slid up enough to rest his chin on her belly, just watching. Loving the look of pure ecstasy written all over her face.

"Ya gonna make it?" He teased, idly rubbing a hand up and down her side while she rode out the aftershocks of her orgasm.

Beth smiled, still with her eyes closed. "Wow." Was all she could think to say and Daryl chuckled, feeling a bit of pride wash over that he was able to make her feel that way. "I've never...that was...just wow."

"Wait a minute..." Daryl started with a grin, sliding up her body the rest of the way so they were face to face. "Ya never gotten off before?" He asked with a raised brow.

Beth blushed and placed a hand over her face, shaking her head.

If he thought he felt pride before, his ego was soaring now with knowing he'd been the first person to give her an orgasm, something she apparently hadn't even done to herself. When she still kept her face covered he nipped at her hand until she removed it and gave her a kiss. "Well did ya like it?"

Beth giggled a little against his lips, but managed to kiss him back. "Oh yeah." She replied, her face still pink with embarrassment and when she shifted that's when she finally noticed his erection was digging into her hip still wanting attention.

"What about you?" Beth asked, knowing it wasn't fair for her to of had all the fun while he was still laying there wanting her.

Daryl just shook his head. "I got ta do exactly what I wanted ta do."

"And now I want to make you feel just as good." She moved to sit up, sucking his lower lip into her mouth. "I want you inside me." She breathed.

Daryl swallowed hard and pulled away slightly after she let his lip go. "I don't want ta hurt ya..." He still wanted her, so bad it was killing him to still be sitting there holding back, but he knew from just having his finger inside her that the experience wasn't going to be as pleasant for her as she was probably thinking. He wasn't a man to brag about the size of what the good lord blessed him with, but he knew damn good and well if he tried to have sex with her, it was going to be difficult and he wasn't sure he could stand himself if he caused her that kind of discomfort.

Beth's brows furrowed. "You won't hurt me." She trusted him enough to know he would never intentionally hurt her and figured he just needed a little push to get him started, so she reached for his belt buckle.

Daryl stopped her gently. "Beth...I don't think ya understand."

"It'll be alright." She leaned forward to kiss his chest. "We'll take it slow...I want to be able to give this to you."

Daryl sat back on his knees as her lips tickled his skin and considered her words. Maybe if he was extra careful it wouldn't be that bad, but he'd never dealt with a virgin before. He didn't even know where to begin, but he was willing to try. Unable to argue with the fact he was starting to ache from being so worked up over the time they'd been together with no release.

When her hand went for his belt again he didn't stop her. He just dipped his head to kiss her while she worked on getting his pants open and maneuvered them to where she was on her back once more, leaving her enough room to pull him free after she'd won the battle against his clothes.

Daryl gasped softly against her neck when her fingers wrapped around his length, causing him to jerk his hips forward, but she never started moving her hand and it took him a minute to understand why. She didn't know how to please a man this way and what little bit of knowledge she may of gained from her sister or something she may of seen, she still didn't know what would get him going.

To not embarrass her by speaking he reached down to wrap his hand around hers and showed her how to stroke him the way he liked. It didn't take long for her to learn what would make him moan and soon he was a shivering mess and had to stop her. He moved her hand to rest on his shoulder as he leaned forward to kiss her and snake his hand between them to slid a finger against her entrance. Spreading her wetness around and then wiping what was left on his finger on the tip of his cock. He pulled away from her mouth to look at her. "Ya sure 'bout this?"

Beth was already breathless and slid her hand that was on his shoulder, to place on the back of his neck. "I'm sure."

"I mean it...ya tell my ass ta stop if ya need a minute or if ya wanna call it quits ta the whole thing. We can do somethin' else." He watched her and when she gave him a nod he slid his hand back to the base of his length and rubbed the tip against her dripping entrance. Biting his lip he rest a hand beside her head on the mattress and thrust forward slightly, only enough to slid inside her just a little bit and she already had a pained expression across her face, but she never said anything so he pushed a little further.

Beth hissed and locked her thighs against his hips to make him stop. "Wait..." The pain of him stretching her was far worse than she expected and needed a moment for her body to adjust to him.

Daryl froze, dipping his head to kiss her neck, trying to offer her a little bit of comfort until she was ready for him to continue. "Ya alright?" He asked in a whisper, licking the shell of her ear, trying to also distract himself because the way she was wrapped around him only that little bit already had him close.

When her thighs loosened their hold he knew that was her telling him to move. He took his time inching forward slowly until he was as far as he could go and just stayed that way unmoving for several minutes. "Christ this ain't gonna last long." Daryl groaned, dropping his head to her shoulder. She was so tight that even just having her breathe was causing a motion around his aching cock that he didn't dare try to move again just yet.

Taking in a deep breath Daryl finally shifted his body and thrust in and out of her a few times carefully, watching her face closely to see the moment when the pain started to turn to pleasure and the first moan escaped her lips. He reached out to touch her cheek, bringing himself forward to kiss her lovingly as he sped up the pace. Only lasting about two more minutes before slipping out of her and thrusting against her hip to shoot his load onto her stomach. He groaned loudly into her mouth, continuing to move his hips and kiss her until he was done.

When he pulled away from her lips he rest his forehead against hers and grunted with the last thrust he made, trying to catch his breath.

Beth was confused at first when he suddenly slid out of her and jumped slightly when the warm liquid hit her skin, but all that was completely forgotten when she saw the look on his face as his orgasm shot through him.

"Holy shit woman." Daryl managed to barely say, still struggling to breathe as he moved to lay beside her, careful to not make a mess on their bed while he picked up a shirt to clean them off with.

Beth didn't move as he carefully wiped her clean and gave her an apologetic look when he was finished. She just smiled and rolled over to drape her arm over his stomach and rest her head on his chest as he pulled the covers around them.

"This was way better than I ever imagined it to be." Beth admitted with a smile, kissing at his collar bone while tracing her fingers along his abs.

"Don't even compare." Daryl agreed, returning a kiss to her temple. He was pretty sure he had never cuddled with someone in his entire life and learned real fast just how much he enjoyed having her naked and wrapped around him. "Actually...havin' a smoke right about now would make it perfect." He chuckled.

Beth grinned. "Or ice cream."


	9. Chapter 9

"This one." Beth said, stopping in front of unit number 57. It had been her turn to pick the next three storage units they would be searching through that day and to say things weren't going well was putting it nicely. The first one literally had two boxes inside and some garbage, along with mouse traps and rat poison. The second one she picked was completely empty other than an old fast food receipt laying in the corner and now they were at number three. She really hoped it wasn't going to earn a big black 'X' through it's number like the rest.

Since they had started their routine of searching the units they devised a system of marking the doors to keep track of what they'd already gone through. Units that were useless got an 'X' over their number and units that held items they were coming back for got a 'circle' around them.

Beth was biting her lip at this point as Daryl cut the lock and started sliding the door open, if they were walking into another dud she knew Daryl wouldn't let her choose ever again. Once the door clicked and latched into place her mouth fell open when boxes were almost tumbling out by their feet. The unit was literally stocked all the way to the ceiling.

"'Bout time we had some luck." Daryl smirked, bumping her shoulder with his.

Beth smiled and leaned against him. "Where do we even start?" She asked. It was going to be like playing Jinga trying to pull boxes out to make room for them to step inside and not get crushed to death.

"Move back." Daryl instructed and when she did he grabbed a hold of a box and jerked it free, tossing it to the side. As soon as it hit the cement several other boxes and plastic bins fell and scattered across the ground in front of them.

Beth shifted out of the way when one came too close for comfort and giggled at the mountain of stuff still packed inside. "Whoever put all this crap in here must of had one hell of a day." She could only imagine how long it took them to keep everything from falling while trying to get the door shut.

Daryl just shook his head and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Start goin' through these. Ima climb up and try ta move some of this around. Maybe we can make a dent before it gets dark."

Beth gave him a nod and slid some boxes over while finding a spot to sit in the shade beside the open unit. This was her favorite part of the process, well... the surprise of seeing what could lay beyond the door was always interesting, but actually getting to see what was hidden in the boxes is what got her excited. It was like being able to go shopping at the mall, but at the end of the world where money was pointless and new things were hard to come by. It didn't matter to her either way though, just being able to have anything at all these days was like winning the lottery, so each new article of clothing, or something as simple as the deck of cards they'd found were cherished as if they were the best things she'd ever owned. It made her feel somewhat normal again if that were possible.

"Hey." Daryl called from above, poking his head out to look down at her.

Beth lifted eyes and held her hand up to block the glare from the sun.

"Got somethin' for ya." He told her and tossed a plastic bin down that landed a few feet away with a loud smack.

Beth crinkled her forehead. "What is it?"

Daryl chuckled. "Bunch of girly shit." He shifted his bow around that was strapped over his shoulder and jumped back down into the hole he'd made in the far right corner. There was one other thing he wanted to give her, but it was too big to move and he still needed to clear some more boxes out of the way. His main reason for doing this was to find more weapons or gear to help them survive, but if he could offer her anything to make that beautiful smile spread across her face he was going to give it to her. That's when he paused and just took a moment to look around at where life had taken him. Since when did he care so much about making her smile? or wanting to see that smile? He wouldn't deny that even before the split he thought it was one of her best features, but now he felt a need to be the reason behind it. Beth Greene was going to be the death of him.

If he thought he had it bad before he was wrong. Ever since she'd gotten into his head he had a primal urge to keep her all to himself, that she was his in some way. All he knew was if she wasn't in his life from here on out he would be devastated and just thinking of her not being there made his heart ache. In the back of his mind he wondered if what he was feeling was love, but he couldn't recall a time in his life where he'd ever experienced an emotion such as this to give it a name.

Beth was taking her time digging through the container Daryl tossed down when she thought she heard a clanking noise and looked up. Nothing seemed out of place so she went back to shuffling around the items within the box. It had obviously belonged to an older teenage girl. Probably all her items from her bathroom. There was a hairbrush, hair ties, lotions, shampoo, soap, conditioner, makeup, Nail polish, basically everything any girl could ever need.

She began setting things aside she was planning to keep when the same sound caught her attention again, this time she saw where it was coming from and stood up fast. "Daryl, there's a dog!" She squealed in excitement and without thinking started walking in it's direction.

Daryl jerked his head up at her voice and dropped what he was holding. "What?" He called out and realized that was impossible. He'd just done the normal rounds right before they entered the unit and the fences were fine. The only way a dog could of gotten in is if someone cut a hole in them or lifted it over top. That's when he started to panic slightly, climbing over boxes to get to her.

Beth wasn't paying any attention to him, she loved animals and it was the first one she'd seen they weren't planning to eat since the prison. Even before then she hadn't actually seen a dog since all this started.

Daryl stumbled out into the open finally, but Beth was already a couple units down from him. "Beth, hold on." He grabbed her arm once he caught up and she spun around with a glare when the dog ran off.

"What the hell Daryl? You scared it away." Beth huffed.

"Ya can't just run off like that." Daryl snapped.

"Its just a dog." Beth didn't understand his sudden worry.

Daryl grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him, staring down at her. "It's not the damn dog I'm worried about. It's how the hell it got in here."

The sudden click in Daryl's ear made his heart skip a beat, the hammer of a revolver being pulled back as a gun was aimed at his temple.

"Turn around." A voice demanded and Daryl let go of Beth, putting his hands up, doing exactly as asked. He clenched his jaw when he made eye contact with the man, recognizing him instantly. It was the same asshole that shot him. "Looks like we have some unfinished business. Seems you got off easy after killing two of my men."

"Maybe if those sick fucks had kept to themselves they'd still be alive." Daryl spat, balling his hands into fist.

The man just shook his head and chuckled. "Those were good, loyal men, only playing by the rules. Its simple really, they see something they want, they take it. One word and its theirs. Which is why we've followed you this long. Len over there claimed this pretty little number after seeing her run off into the woods a week ago." He sucked his teeth, giving Beth a once over. "And now, well... he's here to take what's his."

That's when Beth screamed and Daryl turned to see someone holding her from behind. He attempted to go to her, but was kicked in the back of the knees sending him to the ground, the gun back at his temple and a hand around his throat. "One more move like that and you're dead." The man threatened. "We can be reasonable men if you play by the rules."

Daryl watched as the man, who he assumed was Len, slid a knife up Beth's thigh and grabbed a handful of her hair, jerking her back to expose her neck. He dipped his head to inhale her scent deeply, licking a trail up to her ear where he whispered something Daryl couldn't make out.

Beth winced at the painful hold the man had on her and struggled against him, reaching up to scratch her nails into the side of his neck while trying to elbow him in the stomach.

Len hissed and laughed at the girl's attempt to break free. Little did she know he fed off her fear and it only made him want her more. "Looks like we got us a feisty one here, Joe." He said with a smirk as he placed his foot in front of hers and shoved her forward. The movement was so quick Beth didn't have time to put her hands out to catch herself and ended up landing on her stomach hard, knocking the air from her lungs.

Daryl tensed and grit his teeth, the hold on his throat tightening with each move he made as he watched Beth gasping to breathe in front of him. She was only a foot away and there was nothing he could do. If he tried to get away from the man holding him, he'd be shot in the head and then he was useless to her. She'd be on her own to suffer at the hands of the man currently on top of her, digging his knee into her back to hold her down.

"There has ta be somethin' else..." Daryl said quietly at first, his mind in over drive as he tried to think of a way to reason with them. "We have food, supplies, take whatever ya want, just let her go."

Joe readjusted his gun, pressing it into Daryl's skin as he looked over at his partner. "What do you think Len? Any of that sound better than her?"

Len grinned and reached down to grab Beth's hair again, earning him a gasp at the tight hold. "I dunno." He said while sliding his blade up her arm. "Been a long time since I seen me one this sweet." He stood then, still with her long blonde curls tangled in his fingers and roughly pulled at them for her to come with. She cried out and stumbled to get to her feet while grabbing a hold of his wrist to support some of her weight.

That's when Daryl noticed her chin was bleeding, a gift from the cement when the bastard knocked her down and it only pissed him off more. He couldn't wait until they screwed up and he got a hold of them, but he had to play it smart, like he did back at the house and wait for one of them to drop their guard, even if only for a second.

"Unbutton your shirt." Len instructed as he placed the knife at her collar bone. "I wanna see exactly what I have before I decide which offer to take."

Beth tensed and lifted her shaking hands to the top button while risking a look in Daryl's direction. His eyes were dark and full of anger, along with a helpless expression in his features that caused her to look away and fight back tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

When Len placed his free hand on her hip and pulled her back against his crotch she bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry, to not make a sound, doing anything to keep from giving them the satisfaction of watching her break. She was unaware her time spent having an inward battle with her emotions caused her to abandoned undressing and Len was growing impatient.

"Hurry up!" Len barked when she stopped at the second button, cutting into her skin with the sharp blade at her collar bone to motivate her to continue.

Beth hissed and instinctively jerked away from the pain, moving back into him more, making him moan. She had to swallow down the bile that rose when she felt his arousal pressed against her, just a tiny sample of what was to come.

"Stop!" Daryl yelled, not able to watch the sick show play out in front of him any longer. It only took him a second to make up his mind and before he could stop himself he was standing and elbowing Joe in the nose. He took his chance when he stumbled from the blow and grabbed him, snapping his neck. As Joe's body crumpled to the ground Daryl was already on his way to Beth prepared to take down the other man, but soon realized it wasn't needed.

During the distraction Daryl had created, Len made the mistake of breaking his concentration and Beth managed to grab her knife at her waist and shove it up into his throat, causing bright red blood to spill everywhere. Len's knees buckled and she was on top of him in an instant, jabbing the knife into his chest over and over until a pair of strong arms wrapped around her tiny frame from behind and pulled her away from the lifeless body.

"It's just me sweetheart...calm down." Daryl whispered into her ear as she screamed and struggled against him, adrenaline still running through her veins, making her panic.

Beth's head was spinning, all she could feel was rage and it took a moment for Daryl's voice to sink in, bringing her out of her current state. She lifted her hands and stared in horror at the red stains that covered her skin and dropped the knife she'd been holding. "I killed him..." She gasped and suddenly felt the urge to throw up.

Daryl turned her in his hold so she was facing him and held her still, meeting her eyes. "Ya killed a bastard that deserved it. Ya protected yerself." When he first saw her unleashing her fury upon Len, he felt proud. She wasn't the weak little girl that he knew back on the farm that tried to kill herself. She had grown into a strong beautiful woman that wanted to live and with his help he would show her how to survive in this hostel world.

"C'mon." Daryl wrapped his arm around her shoulders and lead her in the direction of the water pump beside the office building. He discovered it while making the rounds on their first day and after a bit of tinkering, patients and brown muck, the pipes finally ran clear and they had been using it to bathe with. Beth insisted it was fine for drinking and they had struck Gold, but Daryl wasn't going to risk it and she didn't bother to argue after that.

Daryl moved her to sit on a bench that was beside the pump and pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket to soak it briefly, then began to clean off the dry blood that decorated her face. When he came to the cut on her chin he paused, it was pretty deep and already had bruising going down the side of her jaw. "Fuckin' asshole." Daryl muttered, not understanding how anyone could do that to her. She was the kindest person he'd ever met and before today she hadn't brought harm upon anyone. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him from hurtin' ya." He told her with a frown, feeling like he could of done something to prevent it from happening.

Beth shifted her eyes to meet his. "Am I a monster?" She asked, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

The whole time he'd been working to erase any physical evidence from her body that she just killed a man, she had barely moved. Not even wincing as he brushed over the cut on her chin and now she was asking him a question that literally made him flinch.

"Fuck no." Daryl growled, dropping her hand after he wiped away the last bit of blood from around her finger nail. "How can ya even think that?" He asked, lowering himself to his knees between her legs to look up at her. The height from her sitting on the bench and him on the ground, brought them face to face.

Beth looked away and swallowed hard to keep herself from breaking down. She didn't even recognize herself anymore and that scared her. Everything she was feeling in that moment was confusing and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake it. "I feel terrible..." She said softly.

Daryl slid his hands up her thighs and rest them at her hips. "It's never easy ta do somethin' like that...but ya did the right thing." He placed a kiss at her temple and she leaned into the touch slightly.

Beth sniffed and slid off the bench into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Do you think more of their group will come here?" She asked, shifting just a tiny bit to not irritate the gash on her collar bone.

Daryl pulled her against his chest and breathed her in, he'd been so close to losing her. "We'll worry 'bout that later." He moved his hands to grab the backs of her thighs and stood, her legs wrapping around his waist. "Lets find some clean clothes and get ya taken care of first."

As he carried her back to their unit she started to calm and find herself again. Might of been his scent or his touch, or the fact he just cared and was there for her, but whatever it was, she knew it was because of him that she hadn't drifter any further into the dark place she's been heading. It reminded her of the times when she wanted to end it all and she couldn't go back there, not after seeing the look of fear in his eyes as Joe placed a gun to his head and Len had his way with her. She loved him and wouldn't leave him alone and broken.

Taking a persons life had probably been the most difficult thing she'd ever done, but she'd do it again if it meant she got to live and see his face another day.


	10. Chapter 10

Beth watched Daryl from the couch in their unit as he searched for clean clothes. His bare back exposed for her to see and it dawned on her he'd never been nervous about her seeing his scars. She could remember times back on the farm and at the prison he made it a mission to stay hidden any time he had to remove his shirt, but when they made it to the river the first time he had no problem stripping down to his boxers and letting her get a good view of his body. "Daryl?" She called, placing an arm behind her head to prop herself up to see him better.

Daryl spun around at her voice, running his eyes down her slim body stretched out on the sofa. She was too cute for her own good, even with a small butterfly stitch across her chin. He grinned and walked over with a white T-shirt in his hand. "Ya alright?" He asked. They'd only been back there long enough for him to patch her up and he hoped she wasn't in any pain.

She gave him a nod. "Just wanted to ask you something."

Daryl moved to sit on the floor beside the couch, tossing the shirt over his shoulder for now. "What is it?" He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. It still amazed him at how much he loved to touch her. He'd never been the romantic type or nice to most people for that matter, but he enjoyed being this way with her. It made him feel good to see her light up at the little things he did.

Beth smiled and shifted a bit higher on the couch, letting him hold her hand. "Why doesn't it bother you to let me see your scars?"

Daryl's eyes darted to the side in her direction for a second and then dropped to the floor, a hand coming up to pull at the hair on his chin. "I dunno." He responded with a shrug.

"I know you don't like to talk about your past...that's not why I'm asking. Just noticed you never tried to hide them from me like everyone else. Wasn't sure if their was a reason..." She idly played with his fingers while she spoke.

He took a moment to really think about it. "Guess it's cus ya ain't got a mean bone in yer body. Never was afraid you'd look at me funny or start with the questions like most people do." He lifted his eyes to look at her. "Even back on the farm...ya always made me feel...well, different. Had ta avoid ya whenever I could though." He chuckled then. "Didn't want ta get myself in trouble with all the things I caught myself thinkin' 'bout."

Beth leaned forward and kissed his shoulder. "I still wanna know all these things you used to think about." She told him devilishly.

"Maybe one day I'll tell ya." He teased and gave her a quick kiss before standing. "Right now I gotta go fix the fence and make sure no more assholes show up."

That's when Beth frowned, having momentarily forgotten what they just endued. "Are we going to stay here?" She still worried the rest of Joe and Len's group would come looking for their them when they never returned.

Daryl put his shirt on and grabbed his vest. "Do you wanna?" He asked. They pretty much had it made when it came to supplies and shelter, but if she didn't feel safe he wouldn't make her stay.

Beth bit her lip and sat up, looking around at all they had. "I think it might be possible other people will start getting the same idea as us and want what we have here...or worse..." She really didn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. Her and Daryl had shared so much in the short time they spent there and she'd be a little sad to let it go, but right now it was dangerous with the possibility of Joe's group looking for them.

Daryl sighed. "We'll talk about it more when I get back." He picked up his bow and walked over to her, kneeling to cup her face. "Gonna be alright alone for a little bit?" He didn't like the idea of leaving her, but she needed to rest.

She gave him a nod and shut her eyes, leaning into his touch. She always hated this part, when he would leave to hunt or do the rounds, but she knew he'd come back. He always came back.

He kissed her forehead and left without a word. Beth didn't do goodbyes and he learned over time to just go about it in silence when it came to him leaving. It seemed easier on her, but always made his stomach tighten uncomfortably to just walk away with nothing. Ever since the night in the trunk his emotions had been taking him for one hell of a ride and it was hard to accept the fact another person could make him feel so complete, yet so confused all at once.

Pushing those feelings aside for now, he set out to find how Joe and Len managed to enter the gated area. The top part of the fences were mostly covered in barbed wire and not that easy to climb over, so he figured his best option at the moment was to search for where the fence could of been cut. It didn't take him long to find the hole either.

After running a rope through the links and adding a few zip ties, he secured the fence enough to keep the Walkers out. He knew it wouldn't hold out the living, but they would at least be safe for the night if any stragglers of the dead decided to fall against it. If they planned on staying for a long period of time he'd come back and re-enforce it later.

Next he went to where him and Beth were attacked to properly dispose of the assholes. Thankfully neither one of them had reanimated during their absence and he quickly pierced both their brains to prevent that from happening. They had gotten off easy in his opinion, wishing he could kill them over and over to help release some of his frustration, especially the sick fuck who put his hands all over Beth.

Since he couldn't possibly kill him again he settled on kicking the bastards lifeless body a couple of times before sliding it over into a ditch along with his former partner. Normally he'd burn them to keep the Walkers from getting excited over the smell, but he didn't want to draw anymore attention to their whereabouts at the moment, not until they decided on their next move. For now he was going to let them sit there and rot.

When the sun started to set he did one last round of the perimeter and gathered his things before returning to their unit. He had to chuckle when he realized all he wanted to do when he got back was cuddle up with Beth in a blanket and go to sleep. No person in his entire life ever had power over his emotions like she did and it amazed him. All she had to do was say the word and he'd drop what he was doing in a heartbeat to give her anything she wanted. It may of been a rough start at first, with him holding back and refusing to accept what was already there, but he knew now he could never go back to avoiding her. Not after getting a taste of how she made him feel.

For some reason he started thinking of Merle and what he would say about the situation. Calling him a stupid fuck for ever letting a woman get her claws in so deep, telling him he was pussy whipped and handing his balls over on a silver platter. Merle never was one to think about actually trying to settle down with just one woman and Daryl could only assume his brother would of never been accepting of him doing it either. Hell Daryl didn't even know what they were. If they were a couple or how any of that worked. All he knew was at that moment Beth was his everything and even though he may of taken a lot longer than most to accept his feelings, he was slowly learning what having someone care about him felt like and he didn't want that to go away. He'd tell her one day when he built up the confidence that he was pretty sure he loved her, but for now he was going to leave it alone. It was still something he was slowly adjusting to and it didn't need to be rushed.

With a sigh Daryl ran a hand through his hair and almost jumped out of his skin when a tail wagging dog greeted him at the opening of their unit. He'd already drawn his bow ready to shoot the thing when Beth came running up behind it.

"Don't kill her!" Beth yelled, bending down to grab a hold of the dog's collar.

Daryl lifted his hand to show he meant no harm and lowered his weapon. "Ain't gonna kill it." He stepped back and went to set his things on top of the dresser before flopping onto the couch. "Just didn't expect some damn mutt ta come runnin' at me. The fucks it doin' in here anyway?"

Beth shot him a glare, not appreciating his tone and wrapped her arms around the dog who was currently trying to sniff her face. "She isn't an 'it' Daryl and she came in here while I was laying down. Walked right up to me and licked my hand." She smiled then, petting the dog's head. "Scared me to death at first since I didn't see her come over." Beth had been on the edge of falling asleep when she felt the slobber on her hand, thinking a Walker was trying to eat her and almost had a heart attack until she realized it was the dog. "But shes sweet and seems smart."

Daryl watched the way Beth piratically beamed over the dog, the same stupid dog that nearly got them killed and it didn't settle well with him. "So what now?"

Beth lifted her eyes to meet his. "We can't just leave her out there on her own."

"Sure we can." Daryl grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face.

Beth frowned as she scratched behind the dog's ear. "That's not very nice."

"S'not gonna be very nice when she barks or runs off and attracts Walkers to us neither. We gotta be smart 'bout this." He sighed when she got up and came to sit in his lap, straddling his hips and giving him the cutest damn look he'd ever seen. He knew then it was game over. No matter what he said now she was going to get her way.

Beth reached out to place a hand on his cheek. "Give her three days."

Daryl shut his eyes and turned his head to kiss her palm. "We still gotta figure out if we're stayin' here or not."

She smiled and leaned forward, barely touching his lips with hers. "Three days. We'll go through the rest of the storage units and gather what we need then move on." She slid her free hand down his chest and rocked her body against him as she spoke.

Daryl groaned and rubbed his hands up her thighs to grab her hips. "This ain't fair." He whined. Knowing what she was doing and his body was already responding exactly how she wanted.

Beth smirked. "I dunno what you're talking about." She teased, nipping his lower lip.

Daryl's hands found their way under her shirt and glided them up her back to pull her against his chest, claiming her lips properly. He took his time to kiss her slow and sweet just for a moment.

After that he forced himself to try one more time to think rationally before giving in. He dug his fingers into the skin at her hips and moved her to sit beside him gently. Having her in his lap was too much of a distraction and this was something they really needed to discuss.

"I'm serious Beth." He started. "Ya really need ta think 'bout this. We gotta consider how to provide for her and ourselves, along with keepin' her ass quiet when we travel. Speakin' of we also need ta figure out where the hell we're headin' once we leave here."

Beth pouted when he moved her. "I have thought about it. There was a unit we went through a few days ago that had a ton of things for a dog and as for her keeping quiet and seeing how she behaves...well that's why we give her a trial period. Plus dog food is a lot easier to come by than food for ourselves now a days." She had moved from beside Daryl while she was talking and placed herself on her knees between his legs, resting her elbows on his thighs looking up at him.

Daryl watched her move and knew she was probably up to no good, but let her go with it. He honestly found it a little amusing. "Have ya forgotten she used to belong to the assholes that tried ta kill us?" He asked, sliding his hands up her arms to rest at her shoulders.

Her forehead crinkled at the reminder. "That's not her fault..." She was still upset about the whole incident, but wasn't going to hold it against a defenseless animal that happened to have shitty owners.

"Just don't feel right." Daryl admitted, grabbing Beth's hand when it drifted up to his belt buckle. "No." He scolded half hearted.

Beth just smirked and wiggled her hand free, undoing his belt and quickly popping the button on his jeans. "It's just three days Daryl. If it doesn't work then we'll figure out what to do with her when the time comes."

Daryl huffed and let her go without a struggle, curious to see where this was going, but at the same time still trying to keep a level head. "Fine, but I don't want no lip or tears if we have ta leave her ass behind." He growled then when she pulled his zipper down. "The fuck ya tryin' ta do anyhow?"

"I wanted to try something." She told him and curled her fingers around the belt loops at his hips.

"And ya had ta pick right now ta do it?" He asked, reaching down to grab her wrists gently when she tugged at the material. "I already agreed ta ya little trial, ya don't have ta keep tryin' ta distract me."

"I'm not trying to distract you anymore. I actually want to try this and from the looks of it..." She paused to squeeze his very present hard on through his pants. "You're at least interested." She pointed out with a grin.

Daryl groaned and bucked against her hand. "Yer the Devil ya know that?" He said with a chuckle and let one of her wrist go to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, already completely lost to her. "What is it ya wanna do?"

"Lift your hips." She said, still tugging at his jeans and pulled them, along with his boxers to his ankles when he finally let her. When she straightened up right again she got a full view of his erection and started to blush. They hadn't done anything else since she lost her virginity and in the dim candle light she was never able to actually see that part of him clearly. Now that she was able to fully enjoy the sight, he already had her panting.

Daryl cleared his throat nervously at her reaction and was tempted to cover himself when she let her eyes linger, suddenly feeling shy.

"Take your shirt off." She instructed and wrapped her tiny hand around his length, getting a hiss from him in return as he let his shirt fall beside him on the couch.

"Now what?" He asked, enjoying this confident side of her, even though he wasn't used to being stared at. He knew she wasn't experienced and everything she was doing right then was testing the waters, but he liked she was willing to try new things. He wanted her to feel comfortable in moments like these, to know he wasn't going to judge her just because she'd never done it before and that he'd help guide her along if she needed it.

"Sit back." She said with a smile, her cheeks still pink with embarrassment. She really had no idea what she was doing, but from what she'd heard from her old friends, guys liked this and she wanted to make him feel good.

Daryl jerked uncontrollably when she leaned forward and teased his cock with her tongue, swirling it around the tip delicately before sucking on just the head. Throughout everything with her on the floor in front of him like she was, he knew what was coming, but still found himself surprised.

"Beth..." He gasped, tangling his fingers into her long curls carefully to pull her away.

A look of confusion spread across her face as she looked up at him. "You don't like this?" She asked, starting to doubt herself.

Daryl was quick to correct his reason for stopping her. "No...that's not it at all." There were only two times he could remember that he ever let a woman go down on him and he couldn't lie and say he didn't enjoy it, but in the back of his mind he always saw it as a little degrading. Merle and his dead beat friends used to talk about it in such a way that Daryl really never considered ever wanting it to happen. Calling those women dirty sluts and making them feel like they had to do it, like the men had control over them in some way. It wasn't that the women he'd been with in the past were great choices to start with, but he was decent enough to not make them feel like complete shit. "Just don't want ya ta do it because ya feel like ya have ta."

"I'm doing it because I want to." She said, tightening her fingers around him a bit more. "Now hush." She scolded playfully, dipping her head to nip at him, which caused him to moan.

Taking in a deep breath she opened her mouth and took him in as far as she could, sucking lightly as she pulled her head back up, continuing to tease him with her tongue with each suck. She repeated this motion several times, moaning around him when he'd twitch or gasp, sending a vibration through him that made his stomach tighten.

"Sure ya ain't never done this before?" He asked with a grunt, moving a hand down to cup her cheek as she worked him. She shook her head, a smile creeping in the corners of her mouth. She already had him shaking and he didn't want to finish this way. "Ya gonna have ta stop..." He said breathless, on the verge of not being able to control himself.

Beth lifted her head enough to speak. "Why?" She asked, her hand still lazily stroking him.

Daryl leaned forward and shifted her to stand. "Take ya clothes off." He demanded and while she did that he took the time to remove his boots and the rest of his clothes, pushing them over to the side.

He reached out and grabbed her hips when she was completely naked, sliding his hands around to caress her ass before pulling her back into his lap. "Why ya gotta be so perfect?" He asked with a groan, dipping his head to kiss her neck.

Beth let her head fall back, giving him better access and smiled. "I could ask you the same thing."

Daryl chuckled and sucked the skin just below her ear. "Ya fuckin' beautiful ya know that?" He whispered, moving a hand to stroke her cheek lovingly.

Beth blushed and placed her hand over his. "I think you told me once before." She said, still amazed he allowed her to see this side of him, to be this close. Back when she used to day dream about him like this she never actually thought it would come true and now she couldn't be happier.

"Best get used ta hearin' it." He said and reached between them to see if she was wet. When his finger passed over her folds he was instantly greeted with her flood of arousal and couldn't help but groan. Something about her being that turned on just from sucking on his cock made him want her even more.

Beth rocked against his hand and moaned softly at his touch, reaching out to grab a hold of his shoulder when he started spreading her wetness around and needed her to lift her hips higher. She understood now what he wanted her to do when he gripped the base of his hard on and felt her heart beat quicken. There really wasn't any reason for her to be nervous since they'd already had sex, but she still worried she might do something he didn't like.

Daryl helped move her to where his tip was teasing her entrance and she slowly inched herself down on him carefully until he was completely inside her. They both took a moment to let her adjust to being filled and to also catch their breath since they were both already panting. The pain of him stretching her was still there at first, but soon subsided each time she lifted her hips and sank back down on him, her legs shaking helplessly.

Daryl leaned forward to catch a nipple in his mouth as she moved on him and sucked gently, nibbling occasionally, which caused her to squeeze around his length in a way that made every part of his body tingle.

Beth continued to ride him, pulling his hair and kissing every part of his skin she could reach when he'd let her, planning to keep things slow since it was doing wonders to her body, but he had different plans. As soon a she felt his thumb on her clit she moaned loudly and thrust against him hard. Slamming her hips down against him almost painfully as a sudden orgasm tore through her.

Daryl didn't expect her to lose it that fast and had to bite his lip to hold back his own release while she rode out hers. The jerking and pulsing of her inner muscles around him ended up being too much and he could slowly feel himself building up his own orgasm. "Beth...I'm gonna cum." He groaned, hoping she would understand he didn't want to come inside her. She was lost in herself, caught up in the pleasure still running throughout her body and didn't hear single a word he said.

"Sweetheart..." He panted, feeling her press against him harder. "Move up." He begged, realizing then he was going to have to move her himself and lifted her off him right before he came.

Beth had no idea what was happening when Daryl suddenly pushed her away and opened her eyes just in time to see him stroking himself, shooting his load across his belly with the sexiest sound she'd ever heard rumbling from his chest. He gripped her hip with his free hand as she sat on his thighs and continued slowly running his hand up and down his length until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Damn woman...almost gave me a heart attack." He said, struggling to catch his breath as he stilled his hand. Just sitting there for a moment to collect himself.

Beth leaned over to grab his shirt from beside him and tossed it onto his stomach so he could clean himself off. "Sorry." She apologized, understanding how dangerous it could be for them if she accidentally got pregnant, they definitely weren't prepared to handle something like that on their own.

"S'alright." He said, pulling her down against his chest once he removed the sticky substance from his skin. "We just gotta be careful." He kissed the side of her head and sighed. Enjoying having her in his lap all sweaty and glowing from sharing something so intimate with her. They really did fit well together and he sometimes wondered if it was fate things ended up the way they did.


	11. Chapter 11

"Fuck." Daryl gasped, jerking awake and dripping sweat. His heart felt like it was going to explode from his chest as he struggled to breathe.

Ever since the day Joe and Len attacked them, Daryl had been having vivid nightmares. Haunting images of Beth being tortured at the hands of the son of a bitch plaguing his every thought and he was drained. Afraid to let himself to go back to sleep once the nightmares started and he couldn't figure out how to make them go away.

Beth didn't notice anything was different other than he looked tired and for that he was grateful. Not wanting to explain to her he couldn't sleep because he was constantly dreaming of losing her. For some reason he thought it would make him seem weak and he had to be strong for her.

He wondered if it had something to do with the fact they were still in the place where it happened. Today was their last day to go through the remaining units and then they would be moving on. At least that was the plan. Beth had yet to tell him where she wanted to go, but he was more than ready to get the hell away from there. Hoping it would ease his mind.

Tossing the blanket aside he pushed himself to his feet, careful not to disturb Beth who was dead to the word beside him and slipped on a pair of jeans. He didn't bother to buckle them since he planned on returning shortly and grabbed a pack of smokes he'd found before stepping outside into the cool night air.

After lighting a cigarette and letting the smoke fill his lungs, he sank to the ground with his back against the cold metal and sighed, pulling at the hair on his chin while he tried to relax.

The dog, which Beth had been calling Molly, watched him from a few feet away and he had to admit she was turning out to be pretty decent. He never heard her bark, she listened and Beth was extremely fond of her. The dog could make her light up like nothing he'd ever seen before and he wouldn't take that away from her.

Daryl chuckled when Molly started slowly crawling closer to him, like she was afraid he'd push her away, but at the same time wanting some attention.

"C'mere." He called, taking another drag from his cigarette as she wagged her tail and ran over, laying down beside him with her head in his lap. She really was a sweet little thing with her big blue eyes staring up at him and her surprisingly shiny brown and white fur, he could only assume she was some kind of Border Collie mix. Either way she had something about her that could bring you comfort and that was alright in his book. It had taken him a while to accept the fact she used to belong to the assholes that currently tormented him, but Beth was right when she said it wasn't the dogs fault and if she made Beth happy, that's all that mattered.

"Daryl?" Beth's soft voice suddenly called from inside.

"Right out here sweetheart." He responded, leaning over to poke his head around the corner so she could see him.

"Everything alright?" She asked. "Where's Molly?" As if the dog already knew her name she jumped up at her voice and walked over to where Beth was laying.

Daryl let the dog go and lifted his leg she'd been resting her head on. "Everythin's fine." He said, leaning back against the building to finish his smoke.

"What are you doing out here?" Beth asked, her bare feet smacking against the cement as she walked over, Molly at her heels.

"Can't sleep." He admitted and lifted his head to see her wearing one of his long sleeved shirts that was probably four sizes too big. Only a few buttons in the middle were keeping it closed, exposing her perfect legs and sexy purple panties, along with her uninjured collar bone when the material slid down her shoulder. He figured no matter what she wore she'd always be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Sure you're alright?" She asked again, rubbing her eyes while lazily stroking Molly's head.

Daryl gave her a nod and flicked his cigarette away while releasing the last bit of smoke from his lungs. Beth never had problem with him smoking, but he knew she wouldn't want it in her face when he reached for her to sit with him.

Beth moved to curl up in his lap as he shifted and wrapped his arms around her protectively, kissing the side of her head.

"Ya feet are freezin'." He told her when his hand brushed against them. "Should of stayed under the blanket, I was comin' back."

"You can keep me warm." She hummed, burying her face into the crook his neck.

Daryl chuckled and slid a hand down her back. "Give anymore thought ta where we're headin' tomorrow?"

Beth shook her head.

"I was thinkin' the coast. S'not too far from here if we drive and maybe it won't be over run." Truth was he'd never seen the ocean. He'd been to different parts of Georgia, but stayed relatively close to places he knew and the coast sounded like something they could enjoy seeing together.

Beth moved then, her brows furrowing. "We can't go that far."

"Why not?" He asked, confused. Their gas was limited, but with the discovery of finding a few vehicles in the bigger storage units they had enough to get them there with some to spare.

Beth frowned. "What about Maggie...and Glenn, Rick and Michonne, Carol? What if they're looking for us? If we leave we'll never have a chance to find them..."

Daryl was taken back a little. They had been on their own almost two weeks and she never once said anything about trying to find the others. He did feel somewhat bad it never crossed his mind, but he was busy trying to keep the two of them alive and as much as he hated to think it, he saw their chances of actually finding anyone slim to none.

"Beth..." Daryl paused, not sure how to word what he was about to say without it hurting her feelings. "What if they ain't lookin' for us? Ya might have to consider ya ain't never gonna see 'em again..."

Beth tensed and pushed against his chest to lean back. "How can you say that?" She asked, her eyes scanning his for answers as she swallowed down her building emotions.

"Look...I ain't tryin' ta be a dick, but...where are we even suppose ta look? We haven't seen a single thing ta give us a clue as ta where they would be." His hands tightened around her waist to keep her from trying to move away when she shifted.

"That doesn't mean we just give up! We haven't even tried to look for them!" Beth spat, not able to control the hurt she was suddenly feeling. Molly even whimpered from beside them at her raised tone.

"Keep ya voice down." Daryl scolded, hoping the loud noise wouldn't attract any attention to them. "If ya can tell me where ta look I'll do it. Otherwise we need ta get the hell away from here."

Beth pulled on Daryl's wrists to make him let her go. "We can stay a little longer...as long as it takes to find something!"

"We ain't stayin'." Daryl growled, moving his hands to grip her thighs when she removed them from her hips. "We're gonna go through the last six units, then pack up our shit and leave." They may of not had any problems since Joe and Len, but he wasn't going to risk someone showing up later on down the road trying to kill them. He also wanted to be able to sleep and that wasn't going to happen if they stayed there.

"Then go without me!" Beth yelled, slapping at his hands.

"Would ya stop?" He asked, not releasing his hold. "Tryin' ta have a serious conversation with ya ass and ya actin' like a child."

"And you're being an asshole!" She hissed, her face turning red with anger as she jerked herself away from him and stood. She started off in a direction away from their unit and Molly ran after her. Daryl quickly raised to his feet to follow.

"Where ya goin'?" He called from behind.

"Somewhere away from you." Beth grumbled and sighed when he grabbed her, getting irritated with his manhandling.

Daryl managed to snag her hand, turning her to face him. "We need ta talk 'bout this..."

"No, you need to talk about it!" She snapped, pulling her hand free. "It doesn't matter what I say anyhow does it!? We'll end up doing whatever you want because we both know I can't do it on my own..." Her eyes suddenly became blurry with tears and she turned away from him. "I don't understand how... How you can just let them go, Don't they mean anything to you?"

"Of course they do!" Daryl barked, getting frustrated with the whole situation and the fact she was about to start crying. He hated to see her cry and knew he wouldn't be able to talk to her if the tears started flowing. "I just don't want ta spend the rest of my life runnin' in circles chasin' after someone that might not even be out there. I wanna find a safe place ta stay and try ta live a normal fuckin' life!" He slid a hand over his face and took in a deep breath to calm down. If he was going to yell and act like her they would never finish this conversation.

"What difference is a few more days here going to make?!" She asked, roughly wiping at her eyes.

"We can't stay...I can't...Dammit!" Daryl growled, taking a step back. He didn't want to tell her about his nightmares and how staying there unsettled him. Or how he just wanted to run away with her and start a life together.

"It's Maggie... I love her..." Beth sniffed, needing him to understand how important this was for her.

"And I love you!" Daryl shouted, clenching his jaw. Not even realizing what he said at first. "And I don't wanna lose ya! I can't even close my fuckin' eyes without losin' ya!"

Beth flinched, barely able to speak as a lump formed in her throat. "W...what?" She wasn't really sure if her response was to the fact he just said he loved her or the fact he thought he was going to lose her.

Daryl swallowed and shook his head, trying to change the subject. He couldn't talk about his dreams or slip of words right then, they managed to come out at the wrong time and now there was no taking them back. He just hoped he didn't ruin anything because of it. "Nothin'...We just can't stay here." He wished he could find Maggie and bring that spark back in Beth he always saw when the two of them were together, but he had no idea how to find her. "We can make signs...leave them somethin' so they know where we're headin'..." It was all he had to offer at the moment.

Beth choked back a sob and nodded, trying to hold back more tears, but was failing miserably.

"Shit..." Daryl cursed under his breath, his chest tightening painfully at her slowly breaking down. He moved closer and pulled her into his arms. "Sorry for upsettin' ya." He said, kissing her temple.

Beth shut her eyes and sank against his chest with a sigh, letting him take his time to sooth her and allowing the silence to calm them. They both needed a moment to get their thoughts together and just think about the best way to handle the situation without arguing. Beth was so afraid of missing a chance to cross paths with her sister, that it was hard for her to accept finding a safe place away from there with the possibility of actually being happy. Sure Daryl made her happy, but never seeing their family again was hard to wrap her head around. Putting up signs seemed like a good way to ease her worry and it also offered a bit of hope she'd been holding on to, but she still didn't want to go as far as the coast. Either way, after seeing how staying there affected Daryl she knew they would most definitely be leaving sometime the following day, she just wasn't sure where.

During the night while Beth caught up on sleep, Daryl started packing their things to leave in the morning once the last remaining units where checked. A few days earlier he came across an old work van and since then he'd been in the process of clearing it out and doing some maintenance on the engine to make sure it was reliable. When it proved to run decent, he loaded up the back with everything he could think would be important while also allowing enough room for them to sleep if needed. If they ended up stranded on the road for a few days he at least wanted them to be comfortable.

Beth awoke around first light and Daryl almost had everything finished by that time. They just had to go through the last six units and they'd be on their way.

"You look exhausted." Beth said in his direction as she got dressed and pushed a few more things inside a small back pack she planned to keep with her.

Daryl sighed and sat down on the couch for the last time. He hadn't slept more than a few hours the past three nights due to his nightmares, but pushed himself to keep going since he knew rest was impossible. "I'll be alright."

Beth walked over and strapped the pack over her shoulders. "Take a quick nap. I still have a few things to grab and need to make the signs. I'll be alright for an hour."

Daryl shook his head with a groan. "I can't..." He stood then and went to get his crossbow. "Lets go through these last units and get the hell outta here."

Beth huffed slightly, already knowing he was going to be grumpy the rest of the day. She just hoped he could find the time to relax at some point.

There wasn't a whole lot to be seen once the doors were cut open and the contents of the units were revealed, but they searched through the few boxes inside just in case something of importance lay hidden.

After finding a bit more food, bottle water, an old rifle and ammo, Beth started painting a message on the door of their old unit for anyone that knew them. Letting them know they were safe and what direction they were heading.

Once that was finished Beth tried to coax Molly into the van who was giving her a hard time, but soon she got comfortable and settled down beside Beth, dropping her head into her lap with a small sigh.

Daryl made his way over to Beth's window after tying two cans of gas to the roof. "Ya got everythin'?" He asked, resting a hand against the door.

"Yep, you're the only thing left." She said with a smile, nodding her head in the direction of the driver's seat for him to join her.

Daryl rounded the van, taking one last look around to make sure they weren't forgetting anything and opened his door. He was happy to be getting away from there. Feeling like this was his chance to start over fresh and possibly find a place where the two of them and their dog...could have a new life. In the back of his mind he worried that wouldn't be possible to accomplish if they did happen to stumble across anyone they knew. Maggie would never accept him being with her little sister the way he was, nor would anyone else and deep down he wouldn't blame them. He couldn't help the love he had for the young woman sitting beside him, but knew the situation looked bad, people would assume he took advantage of her in some way and that made him feel like a piece of shit.

Their first night on the road Daryl still continued to have nightmares and was getting frustrated with the constant battle he was having with his inner thoughts. He managed to sneak away and step outside without waking Beth that time, cursing, pissed off that getting away from that place didn't seem to ease his mind at all. He was completely exhausted, his body ached and he found himself irritable more often than not, which only put Beth in an awkward position trying to keep her distance, but also wanting to offer some sort of comfort for the man she could see was suffering. It posed a problem for safety as well when he found himself unable to concentrate properly due to being drained.

This night was even worse. He'd accidentally stirred Beth awake, having jerked while she was resting her head on his chest and was now in the process of trying to calm down. His heart was pounding against his ribs and found it hard to breathe as he fought back the urge to run. Since the nightmares started this was the first time he had to face Beth while still in the panicked state his mind created.

"What's wrong?" Beth asked worried, sitting up more to see the pain in his features, unaware images of her death were racing throughout his every thought.

Daryl still hadn't spoken a word to her about his dreams, unsure if he could even bring himself to actually tell her the awful things that haunted him. He leaned forward, unable to control himself and pulled her against him roughly, tears spilling over his cheeks as everything he'd been holding back came crashing down. He never wanted to show her this side of him, but he couldn't take it anymore. If this is what his body needed to go through to relieve some of the stress, he wasn't going to fight it.

"Daryl?" Beth whispered, shocked when he suddenly grabbed her. She tried to shift to make him look at her, but his grip wouldn't falter. He crushed her to him as if something was going to tear her away and no matter how hard she pushed, he wouldn't let go.

"I love ya so fuckin' much..." He told her softly as he loosened his hold only enough to move her into his lap.. "I just want it ta stop...can't stand ta lose ya anymore..." He dropped his head to her shoulder and took in a ragged breath.

Beth still had no idea what was happening, but this was the second time he'd said those words and she wasn't going to let them go unnoticed again. She knew he meant it, unlike before when they seemed to slip off his tongue without him even realizing it.

"I love you too, but I need you to tell me what's wrong." She spoke gently. Knowing he loved her and hearing him say it made her heart flutter, but the main concern at the moment was trying to get him to relax, at least enough to talk.

"I'm so sorry..." He apologized, continuing to hide his face in the crook of her neck.

"Stop." Beth said, cupping his cheeks to make him look at her. His expression broke her heart, his teary eyes and dark bags under them from days of exhaustion. "What is it?"

Daryl attempt to avoid her gaze, embarrassed of his break down, but knew he had to say something. "Those assholes..." He started finally, swallowing hard before continuing. "Haven't been able to shut my eyes since that bastard put his hands on ya without seein' him rape and kill ya. The sick things they do...both of 'em. I'm just so tired. All I wanna do is sleep without seein' ya hurt."

"Daryl..." Beth frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, kissing his forehead.

He shrugged and shut his eyes when she kissed him. "Thought they'd stop once we left..." He admitted softly.

Beth sighed, that at least explained his mood swings lately and the fact he always looked so drained, but it made her feel bad she was the cause of his misery at the moment. "You have to remember that I stopped him. That I can protect myself if it comes down to it, they can't hurt us anymore."

The more he thought about it, the more he understood she was right. She wasn't a little girl anymore and her holding him right then playing a role he normally would, just proved she was more of an adult than he gave her credit for sometimes.

Molly decided at that point to make her presence known and let out a quiet yelp, inching closer to the two of them, having sensed their mood.

Beth smiled and reached over to scratch under her chin before moving out of Daryl's lap. "Lay down." She told Daryl sweetly, grabbing the blanket to cover them. "We'll keep an eye on you, try to get some rest... please."

Daryl gave in and shifted to lay on his side, allowing her to curl up against his back and stroke his hair. Beth propped herself up on an elbow to see his face and began to hum just loud enough for him to hear. Hoping the sound would sooth him enough to bring him comfort and help him relax.


	12. Chapter 12

"Daryl..." Beth fake whined, causing him to chuckle.

"What?" He asked, elbowing her in the arm playfully. "She loves it."

Beth rolled her eyes and bent down, calling Molly over to adjust the jean vest Daryl managed to wrangle her in to. She couldn't deny it was kind of cute, but had to give him a hard time at the fact he was completely attached to the little fur ball. Especially after he tried to convince her keeping Molly was a bad idea.

"Come on... it's better than that ugly pink collar." Daryl said with a grin.

"But shes a lady, she needs cute girly things and she knows you'll spoil her." Beth winked, teasing him.

"Psh." Daryl huffed, knowing she was right. He really would do anything for his two girls. Growing up around a family where the word 'love' was never spoken, any kind of physical contact meant a black eye and trust was lost at a young age, didn't exactly make opening up to Beth an easy task, but slowly over time he was grateful she was able to make him see this beautiful side of living. Grateful he got to see her big blue doe eyes greet him every morning. Eyes so full of love his heart ached every time she looked at him and he knew she was the reason he was growing soft. Soft to the point where he could hear Merle calling him a pussy. "Go hang ya damn sign and let's get a move on."

Beth shook her head and smiled, running along the train tracks to a pole that was covered in different colored papers. Notes that were left for loved ones, old advertizements that were faded from years of cooking in the sun and random business cards stapled all over the place. She stopped to read one that caught her attention, a sign that was laminated, newer and bigger than the rest claiming to offer safety. "Terminus..." She read out loud, causing Molly to jump and place her paws against her thigh, stretching to see what was so interesting.

Daryl leaned against the van, lighting a cigarette while he watched the two of them from a distance. The plan was to search the surrounding area a few days. Looking for any clues or traces as to where the others could be, but if unsuccessful they would be heading for the coast within the week. All of Beth's signs pointed to locations they planned to pass and new ones would be added along the way once they figured out exactly what route they'd be taking.

In the split second Daryl looked down to put his Zippo back in his pocket a soft bark reached his ears and drew his eyes back in the direction of his girls. Molly only barked when something made her uncomfortable and at the moment a Walker was stumbling out of the woods, inching closer to where they were standing. The dog took a protective stance in front of her owner and bared her teeth, crouching slightly as Beth gripped her knife in a tight fist, ready to defend herself.

Daryl instantly whipped his bow from around his back and took a step forward, sending a bolt flying into the side of the Walker's skull before it got any closer. The body crashed to the ground with a thud and Daryl made his way over, silently looking around to make sure no more followed.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked, touching Beth's elbow gently as she placed her knife back in its leather sheath. He knew it was a dumb question, seeing as the walking corpse didn't even get a chance to do anything harmful, but he wanted to be sure.

Beth gave him a nod and reached down to rip the bolt from the Walker's skull. "Just surprised us." She said, handing him his retrieved ammo.

Daryl took the bolt from her and quickly loaded it back into his crossbow, slinging the strap over his shoulder. "Ya finished?"

"Yeah...but have you seen these before?" She asked, pointing to the sign she'd been reading.

Daryl looked up and shook his head. The words however reminded him of the radio broadcast they managed to pick up for that brief moment in Zach's car.

"Do you think they would of went there?" Beth asked, a little bit of hope flashing in her eyes.

Daryl shrugged and scratched his chin. "I honestly don't know." For some reason the longer he spent reading the sign the more it didn't settle right with him. He couldn't exactly pin point what it was, he just knew in the pit of his stomach something was off.

Beth reached down to pet Molly when she rubbed against her leg. "Shouldn't we look there just in case?" She had a feeling if her sister saw the sign she'd more than likely assume they'd head in that direction.

Before Daryl could respond a sound echoing off the building penetrated his ear, a sound he was very familiar with. "You gotta be shittin' me." He mumbled, turning to Beth while adjusting his bow. "Grab Molly and wait in the van, lock the doors."

Now she was confused. "What...Why?"

"Just do it, please. I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead and pushed on her shoulder to get her moving.

The confusion never left her face as she called Molly and walked back to their vehicle, looking over her shoulder at him before sliding the door open. The whole situation made her nervous with how sudden he needed to do whatever it was he was doing, plus the lack of information, but Beth knew it would of been pointless to try and get him to explain right then. When Daryl had that look he usually meant business and she didn't bother to question his decisions. He had managed to keep them alive this long after all.

Once Beth was safe inside the van, Daryl took off between two buildings, really hoping his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. He walked to the edge of alley and took a moment to pause, pressing his back up against a brick wall as the sound he'd heard fell silent. Stepping forward to dart into the shadows across the street he drew his bow and took down a lone Walker that was snacking on a rat, blocking his way. He flung some rotting flesh and blood off his bolt as he stepped over the fallen corpse, stopping again to listen for any sign of movement before continuing.

After running through a maze of alleyways he rounded the last corner and froze, almost dropping to his knees when the sight of his black Triumph came into view. It was a little beat up, having seen better days, but the sound...the rumble that caught his attention in the first place was still spot on and the longer he stared at the beauty, the more his hands were practically shaking with the need to walk over and slide across the smooth metal of the handlebars.

He waited a few minutes though, fighting back the urge the leave the safety of his cover. Knowing there was a good chance a random stranger could of stumbled upon it while investigating the aftermath of The Governor's attack and he needed to proceed with caution while trying to figure out who currently had possession of his old friend.

When he didn't pick up on any movement he stepped forward, slowly making his way over to the bike and letting his hand drag across the leather of the seat as he soaked in the feeling of it under his finger tips.

"Not so fast." A gruff voice called from a few feet away.

Daryl tensed, turning his head to see a man pointing a pistol in his direction and silently cursed himself. Pissed he let the excitement of his bike get the better of him. He should of waited them out, waited to follow them before jumping into the fire, but it was too late now...he'd already screwed up.

"Now, why don't you just move on over there..." He gestured to the left with his gun. "...And then tell me why the hell you're messing with my stuff."

Daryl couldn't help his raised brow at the mans comment. "You're stuff?" He responded.

"You deaf? Move!" The man barked, narrowing his eyes as he gestured with his gun again in the direction he wanted him to go.

Clenching his jaw, Daryl kept his feet planted firmly to the ground, unable to let go of his pride until the man sent a bullet flying into the wall behind him.

"Next time I won't miss." He threatened.

"I know, I know...I don't want to be in here anymore than you." Beth told Molly who'd been pawing at the door and whining since the moment she'd forced her into the van.

Beth did her best to keep the dog entertained and her mind busy, also working on more signs, scribbling in her little green diary and even taking it as far as trying to count all the bricks on the side of the closest building, but the longer she waited the more she started to grow restless with worry. Sighing she tossed her diary over her shoulder and kicked her feet up on the dash, looking in the direction she'd last seen Daryl with hope he'd be returning soon.

The only thing she was greeted with however was the sound of a gun going off and that quickly put her in a state of panic, causing her chest to tighten painfully when she was reminded Daryl only carried a knife and crossbow.

"Molly, no!" Beth yelled when the dog jumped out the passenger window seconds after the shot rang out and took off running across the small field toward the sound.

Scrambling for her rifle Beth all but tripped when she stepped down from the van and had to grab the mirror to steady herself before continuing. When she looked up again Molly was already gone. "Dammit!" She cursed, trying to get herself under control as she fumbled to make sure her rifle was loaded while running at the same time.

The next thing Daryl registered after the bullet barely missed him was the throbbing pain in his side as something blunt came crashing against his ribs, sending him straight to his knees. Of course the bastard wouldn't of been alone and now he was just standing there laughing as his friend continued to beat him with a metal baseball bat.

Daryl struggled to stand, trying to defend off his attacker, but as each blow cracked against his bones the harder it became to concentrate on anything but the pain. Even the slightest movement to reach for his knife was proving difficult at this point when each jolt sent a burning pain throughout his entire body. Then, just as quick as the blows came, they stopped and Daryl managed to catch a glimpse of a rope in the mans hands.

He vaguely recalled the man who'd been beating on him tossing his bat to his pal when he was suddenly gasping for air. Clawing at the rope digging into his skin as it was tightened around his neck, cutting off his airway. He assumed at first the men were planning to tie him up and leave him to the Walkers, not strangle him to death, but who was he kidding? These weren't the type of men to offer mercy, not after everything he'd just endured. Despite how tired and broken he was, he put up one hell of a fight to find one last breath, just enough to keep him alive a little bit longer.

He couldn't die this way, couldn't leave Beth to face this world alone, to face men such as these, he had to fight to live...fight for her...and as the seconds ticked on, the faster he could feel himself slipping, no longer able to remember the last time oxygen entered his lungs and he knew he was growing weak. His vision had become blurry and his mind was starting to fire off random images of the life he lived, bending the lines of reality.

The very last thing he took in before the pressure on his throat gave, was a loud bang that felt miles away and then the sight of something glowing golden in the distance that brought him a sense of comfort.

Beth didn't hesitate as her finger squeezed the trigger and sent a chuckling man crashing to the ground with a bullet through his temple. All the emotions she was feeling in that moment didn't allow her to fear killing people anymore, at least not when the life of the man she loved was in the hands of some monster.

Molly had surprised her by running over quicker than she could take aim, locking her jaws on the mans throat who'd been torturing Daryl and tearing into his flesh, flinging her head from side to side as chunks were ripped away and blood splattered across the pavement, only letting him go when the threat was no longer there.

Beth gasped in horror when Molly turned in her direction and she could see all the bright red stains coating her fur, showing a side of the dog that kind of scared her. Upon first glance she was one of the cutest dogs she'd even seen and now she was taking on a roll of one of the most terrifying. It didn't matter though, she had risked her life to save Daryl and that was the best thing she could of ever wanted from the small creature. She knew Molly only did it to protect them and for that she was grateful.

Dropping to her knees, Beth reached out to rub her hand down Daryl's chest gently when she saw him gasping for air. It probably didn't actually help any, but she needed him to know she was there since he'd yet to open his eyes.

"Breathe." She whispered, trying to get him to calm down and focus on getting oxygen to his lungs.

Daryl wheezed, struggling for each breath as he placed his hand over hers and latched onto the comfort of her voice.

Beth wanted to be angry with him after seeing his old Triumph parked at the curb, knowing he'd done all this for that stupid bike. "Dammit Daryl..." She said more to herself than to scold him.

Just looking at him made her want to cry. His neck was bleeding from the rope cutting into his skin and he wasn't moving anymore than his chest rising and falling. She'd seen the baseball bat a few feet away, but was unaware of the extent of his beating until she went to unbutton his shirt.

"Oh God..." Beth gasped, lightly sliding her fingers over the bruising on his sides to feel for any broken bones. "Fuck, how could you be so stupid!" She hissed through gritted teeth as she forced back a sob. He definitely had a few broken ribs and now she had no idea what to do. If he tried to walk he'd be in even more pain and she wasn't strong enough to carry him. There was a chance she could get him inside the van if she could bring it there, but didn't trust leaving him alone in his current state right then to go get it, especially since the sun was starting to set.

"Damn, that's some mouth ya got there." Daryl said with a soft chuckle. Instantly wincing when the action caused his side to hurt more.

Beth lifted her head at the sound of his voice and lost it. Tears spilling down her cheeks as she pushed his shaggy bangs from his face and kissed his forehead. When he met her gaze that's when she saw his left eye was completely red from a busted blood vessel and was once again struck with what he'd been through.

"I don't know what to do Daryl...can you move at all?" She asked, desperate for any suggestions on how to get him out of there. Even if it was just inside one of the buildings to gain a bit of protection for a moment.

Before he attempted to lift himself he reached up to touch her cheek, stroking the skin with his thumb. "I'm sorry." He told her, knowing he'd made a mistake by running off and the look on her face was making him kick himself even more for being so foolish.

"You can apologize later. I need to get you inside first." Gently pushing Molly out of the way, Beth stood and helped him stand, taking control of the situation the best way she knew how.

"Fuck!" Daryl bit out when his whole side radiated with pain at being jostled.

Beth gripped his arms to steady him when he got to his feet and slowly lead him inside a small pizza shop, being careful to not let him fall. She gently lowered him into a booth and dropped his crossbow on the table in front of him.

"I'm going to take a look around and make sure nothing can get to you before I leave." Beth said, slinging her rifle from around her back to hold in her hands.

"Wait. Yer leavin'?" Daryl asked, confused.

Beth gave him a nod. "I have to get the van, we need the medical supplies."

Turning his head, Daryl looked outside then back at her. "But its already dark... I'll be fine for a few hours." He told her, swallowing as he tried not to cough when his throat suddenly felt dry.

"No." Beth said firmly. She wasn't going to let him sit there all night suffering when they had everything he needed back in the van. The cut around his neck from the rope could use a good cleaning and she'd have to set his ribs before they started to heal, plus the medicine they had would ease his pain and more than likely knock him out the rest of the night, earning him the rest he'd need for his body to start recovering.

"You don't get a say in this." She cut him off when he opened his mouth to speak and stalked off toward the back of the store.

Daryl sat there dumb founded. He couldn't figure out when Beth had become this demanding, but he had to admit he liked this new side of her. He liked the fact she was starting to realize she could take control and was finding her place in this hostile world. Much different from the person he remembered back at the prison, the girl who hid in the shadows and followed orders without a second thought, never speaking her mind even if he could sometimes see the frustration in her features at being treated like the slightest thing would destroy her. It brought him a sense of comfort to know how well she was adapting to surviving when actually given the chance to prove herself and that wasn't something he was going to take from her by arguing her decision.

"I shouldn't be gone too long." Beth said when she came back up front and gave him a quick kiss.

Daryl grabbed her wrist when she pulled away and reached out with his free hand to place a finger under her chin delicately. Making her look at him as he leaned forward and claimed her lips properly. Desperately needing to feel her against him again before he'd be able to let her go out there alone. "Be careful." He breathed as they broke apart, hating every bit of the situation.

Beth slid her fingers through his hair and frowned, the look on his face breaking her heart. "Molly will keep me safe." She promised, having to remind herself she was doing this for him and couldn't let his worry keep her from getting him what he needed. With one last kiss to his forehead she forced herself out the front door and into the darkness without so much as a look over her shoulder.


	13. Chapter 13

"Was it worth it?" Beth asked as she lifted her hand to push Daryl's shirt off his shoulders.

With a bit of maneuvering Beth managed to help Daryl into the back of the van and after looking over his injuries she wasn't sure if she could properly fix his broken bones. There were many times back at the prison she'd seen her father care for the wounded and also assisted in some cases, but actually having to do the job alone made her nervous. It made her doubt her knowledge and skills in the medical field even though she'd been around it her entire life.

"Ya know it wasn't..." Daryl mumbled, trying his best to sit up straight so she could continue to wrap his ribs.

"I locked it up inside the building...that way no one can run off with it. Figured if you risked your life for a stupid motorcycle it has to be pretty damn important." Beth wasn't trying to be mean and she didn't want him to feel any worse about the situation than he already did, but he needed to understand how much his poor decision affected her.

"Beth...I'm sorry alright?" Daryl sighed. "I know I fucked up...S'not gonna happen again." He really wished she would give him a break. She'd been riding his ass about the incident since she returned with the van and his mood was quickly turning sour. He couldn't even breath without his whole body hurting and the constant pain was only fueling his irritability.

"You scared the shit out of me!" Beth snapped, unable to control the stress she was feeling. Her hands started to shake and she swallowed hard to hold back her emotions while she dug around in her bag for a clip to tie off the end of the wrap. All she'd been able to think about since his attack was that man strangling him, slowly stealing his life away and it made her furious.

Daryl grabbed her elbow gently, sliding his hand down her forearm, across her wrist and over her fingertips. Curling his at the end to pull on hers and kiss the back of her hand, letting his lips glide across her knuckles. A silent plead of forgiveness.

"I can't lose you..." She whispered. "I know you think I can survive out there alone and take care of myself...but I just can't...you have to be there with me..." She let his hand go to wipe at her eyes, trying to hide away the tears that broke free. She tried so hard to stay strong for him, to not add to his worry or pain, but the fear she was feeling right then hit her like a ton of bricks. It made her suddenly realize just how much she truly loved him when she knew it would completely destroy her if he was no longer there.

Daryl frowned, his mood shifting to heartbreak at seeing her cry. There was no possible way he could promise to be around forever and even if they did survive and grow old together he'd still be leaving this life before her. The only thing he could guarantee while he still walked this earth, was to protect her, provide for her and love her with everything he had until his last breath. Even if a time came where her feelings changed and her heart desired someone better than the run down redneck he was, he'd still always love her and he'd be there for her any way he could to make sure she was happy.

"I ain't goin' anywhere sweetheart." He told her softly as he reached out to cup her cheek. "Least not for a long time." Pulling her closer he pressed his lips to hers gently. "And if something did happen ta me tomorrow, ya'd be alright...yer strong...I know ya'd pull through and make this world yer bitch." He said with a chuckle, earning him a mix between a sob and laugh from her as fresh tears flowed down her face. He carefully swiped his thumb over her cheek to brush them away and kissed her forehead. "Jesus Christ you've ruined me woman." He said with a dramatic sigh. She had turned him into a complete sap and he didn't even know how. He'd honestly never understand the power she had over him.

With a sniff Beth took his hand in hers again. "I love you." She told him, trying her best to smile through the frown still in her features.

"Love ya too." He replied, squeezing her hand.

After a minute of just sitting there, enjoying each others company, Beth finally let him go and grabbed a can of ravioli. She popped the top and handed it to him, along with a plastic fork while she went back to digging in her bag for the bottle of pain killers. "Here." She said, passing him two pills. "Eat that, then take these."

Daryl watched as she handed him the items and looked at her in question. "We sharin?" He wondered, holding up the can of food.

Beth shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Daryl furrowed his brows. "We should of saved it then." He wasn't really hungry either.

"You need to eat before taking those so they don't upset your stomach." She told him and reached for a bottle of water.

With a sigh he shoveled some food in his mouth and forced down the mushy substance. "Ugh, can't wait ta eat some real food."

"Once you're better you can do all the hunting you want." Beth said with a smile, also tired of eating from their stash of canned goods.

Two Weeks Later...

Beth shifted, her heart hammering against her ribs as thunder echoed through the van and caused her to jerk awake. As if on instinct, Daryl's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer so her back was against his chest.

"S'alright." He whispered, his voice still laced with sleep as he kissed her shoulder.

"Sorry." Beth apologized with a sigh. Hating that at the end of the world, with death around every corner, she still had a stupid fear of thunder storms and it was somewhat embarrassing. Daryl had to think she was wired wrong or something, to fear a sound over the real dangers they faced every day, but he never teased her about it, never question it and was always there to make her feel better when she found herself in that mild state of panic.

"Don't be." He said, kissing up her neck and across her jaw. His fingers dug into her hip when she moaned, sending a thrill down his spine. The last time they were able to be intimate was back at the storage units and Daryl had been having a hard time controlling his urges.

Every night she would strip down to a pair of her cute little panties and a shirt that clung to her perfect tight body in just the right way to make his imagination run wild. His injuries had severely limited their options in being physical over the past two weeks, but now that he was moving around in less pain, hunting and riding his bike without any problems he was ready to let himself enjoy his woman. Waking every morning rock hard and pressed against her ass was slowly torturing him and he wasn't about to let a perfect opportunity go to waste this time.

When she rocked her hips back against his arousal he knew her mind was in the same place as his. "Want somethin' sweetheart?" He asked, nipping just below her ear.

Beth shuddered with a nod and reached down to grab his hand at her waist, bringing it up to her lips to kiss his middle finger softly. She slowly swirled her tongue around the tip and took the whole thing in her mouth, sucking and teasing the digit. Her teeth raked over the skin as she found her way back up, almost letting him fall from her lips before sucking back down to where his finger met his hand again.

Daryl groaned into her neck. His eyes falling shut as the sensation went straight to his already throbbing cock. He never knew an action that simple could make him feel even more turned on. "I need ya so bad..." He breathed.

Beth grinned, biting down on his finger carefully before letting him go. She grabbed his wrist and tugged on his arm as she shifted to lay on her stomach. "Have me." She whispered.

Daryl went a bit weak at what she was implying when he ended up over top of her while she was face down. "Like this?" He swallowed, leaning his weight on a knee between her legs as he slid a hand down her back.

"Please?" Beth begged, arching her back and lifting her ass in the air as his hand traveled down her body.

Growling Daryl thrust against her, dipping his head to kiss the side of her neck while he reached between them to grab a hold of her panties. "Ya gonna make me lose control like this...Ain't gonna be gentle." He threatened, knowing he'd never intentionally hurt her, but once they got started there was a good chance he'd get lost in himself and wouldn't be able to hold back.

Beth rolled slightly to face him and wrapped her arm around his neck. "I need this just as much as you do." She said with a wicked smile that caused him to leaned down and claim her lips in a piercing kiss. He roughly jerked her panties off, sliding them down her legs and tossed them to the side.

When she broke the kiss and went to remove her shirt, Daryl placed his hand between her shoulders blades and pressed her down against the blanket to stop her. Moving his free hand over the back of her thigh lightly, leaving goosebumps in its wake, he took his time to tease the ache between her legs. Sliding his finger over her already slick folds to eventually circled around her clit, causing her to gasp. "Please don't tease me..." She begged.

Daryl removed his fingers from her sensitive nub with a moan and grabbed her hips, pulling her up onto her knees. She went willingly and managed to finally get her shirt off while he freed himself from his boxers. When she felt him at her entrance she leaned forward, reaching for her bag in the front seat.

Daryl's hands dug into the skin at her waist when she moved, thinking she was changing her mind. "What's wrong?" He asked, kissing the small of her back. The sound of plastic crinkling reached his ears and he lifted his head to see a condom in her hand.

Beth blushed as he met her eyes with a curious expression before taking the condom from her and tearing the wrapper with his teeth. He wasn't exactly sure when she managed to find the thing, but at the moment he was grateful. It was bad enough he feared losing control with her this way and forgetting to pull out once caught up in the act could be much worse.

After rolling on the condom Daryl drifted his hand up her spine lightly to rest on her shoulder. "Face forward." He ordered, his voice firm and husky.

Beth whimpered and turned her head, crying out when he suddenly thrust all the way inside her, making her elbows buckle.

He moved his hand from her shoulder to pull the rubber band from her hair as he set a steady pace. Watching as her long blonde curls flowed over her back, something he didn't get to see very often since she usually kept her hair pulled back in the Georgia heat. His fingers tangled in the strains and yanked on them to expose her beautiful pale neck. Unable to resist tasting her, her lowered his lips to her throat and sucked lightly, sliding his teeth along her skin to the crook of her neck where he darted his tongue out to lick back up her neck all the way to her jaw.

"Daryl..." Beth gasped, her legs shaking. Daryl's quick thrust didn't give her time to adjust to his size, only allowing him to go deeper this way and she found herself hissing in pain. It wasn't until she felt his hands on her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers, that she started to finally feel more pleasure than discomfort and rocked her hips back against him.

"Fuck...don't move." He growled, letting her hair go to place both his hands at her hips to keep control of her movements. Slowing his thrust slightly to not lose his load just yet he leaned back, getting a better view of the way his throbbing cock slid in and out of her tight, dripping entrance.

"But I need you to touch me." Beth whined, moving her own hand to rub between her legs when she couldn't go without the contact any longer and shuddered around him.

"Shit." Daryl cursed, groaning loudly when he felt himself slipping. Her inner muscles tightened around him like a vice and he was having trouble holding back. Swatting her hand away, he replaced her fingers with his and massaged her clit gently while his orgasm broke through and consumed him, causing him to bite into the crook of her neck, sending her over the edge seconds later.

Cries of pleasure filled the van and Beth found herself panting, struggling to breathe while fighting to keep her arms steady enough to hold herself up right as the aftershocks rolled through her body. Daryl kissed her back lovingly as he slipped out of her and removed the condom, tossing it to the side to dispose of later. Right now he just wanted to hold his woman.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her to lay with him and kissed her forehead. "Love ya."

Beth smiled warmly, never getting tired of hearing those words. "Love you too." With a content sigh she cuddled against him and took a moment to bathe in the afterglow of their love making.

"What made ya decide to do it that way?" Daryl asked curiously, feeling her tense beside him.

Beth shrugged. "Something different, why? You didn't like it?"

Daryl sat up then, holding his ribs when he realized how sore he was. "Ya'd have ta be crazy ta not like that." He said with a grin, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Beth continued to lay, staring up into his piercing blue eyes. She lightly trailed a hand down his bare chest before speaking. "It feels different with the condom."

He gave her a nod. "Yeah, but its safer that way. Where'd ya find one anyhow?"

Blushing, Beth sat up, reaching in the front seat to grab her bag. She placed it beside her and leaned against the side of the van before pulling out the box of condoms. She tossed them into his lap. "Found them back at the storage units."

Daryl picked up the box to study it, then let his eyes drift down to her open bag where he caught a glimpse of a book he'd never seen her with. "What's that?" He asked, pointing to it.

Beth felt her face start to burn hot with embarrassment and tried to close the bag to keeps its contents hidden. "Nothing..." She replied weakly.

Daryl chuckled. "Now ya have ta show me."

Beth just shook her head and bit her lip.

"Come on." Daryl begged, moving so that he was on his knees, leaning over her. He dipped his head to kiss her softly while he tried to sneak his hand around and grab the bag without her knowing. She instantly took hold of his wrist and giggled against him, not at all falling for his trick.

"Alright, alright." She said, pushing him back with a nip. "Just don't...don't laugh."

"Ain't gonna laugh." Daryl promised and took the bag from her when she handed it to him.

Beth dropped her face into her palms when the strap left her fingers to hide her still flushed cheeks.

Daryl eagerly pulled the book out, his mouth quickly curling at the corners when he read the cover and started flipping through the pages. "Lookin' ta get creative sweetheart?" He teased, sliding his fingers over the words Kama Sutra when he closed it back.

Beth watched him through the cracks in her fingers and groaned at his question before removing her hands. "I just wanted to know how to please you...Was tired of being inexperienced and awkward..."

"Hey." Daryl said, tossing the book to the side to place a finger under her chin, making her meet his eyes. "Ya never been awkward." He informed her with a smile and gave her a sweet kiss.

"Will you..." Beth paused, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "Will you try some of them with me sometime?"

"Hell yes! As many as ya want." Grinning, Daryl slapped her on the ass and moved to get dressed.

-  
Daryl sat down on an overturn log, poking at the fire to get a better flame for boiling water as he watched Beth from a distance. Her hair was still down from their morning tumble in the sheets and he loved how it flowed in the slight breeze, sending her golden locks in all directions, causing her to curse in frustration every time it got in her face. She'd bat it away, tossing the strands over her shoulder to continue with her sign until a new gust came through and started the same process all over again.

He was about to move and pull her hair back for her when the sound of stick snapping caught his attention and had him to his feet in an instant, bow at the ready. Molly was also on a alert, growling and creeping slowly in front of Daryl toward the direction of the noise when someone spoke.

"Beth?" The familiar voice of a female called out, making Daryl go stiff.


	14. Chapter 14

"Maggie..." Beth breathed. The sight of her sister making her hands shake. She dropped the brush she'd been holding and ran to her. Not caring that she was covered in dirt and grime as her arms flung around her neck, pulling her close. "You're really here?" Beth asked, touching her face as if it were a dream.

Maggie gave her a nod, unable to speak through her emotions and soon both women had tears flowing down their cheeks. Daryl found himself standing off to the side watching awkwardly, chewing on the skin around his thumb nail as he held onto Molly who wasn't comfortable with the newcomer.

"How? Is anyone else with you?" Beth wanted to know everything her sister knew, figuring she was their best chance at finding the others.

Maggie wiped her eyes. "I left the prison with Bob and Sasha. Been following you for over a week now."

Beth couldn't help but smile at knowing their signs were actually being seen. It gave her back a little bit of the hope she'd lost.

"They didn't make it?" Beth asked sadly.

Maggie shook her head. "They went in a different direction. We were all headed to this place called Terminus when we saw your sign by the railroad tracks. I told them I had to do this..but they wanted to continue on in case others were there. I couldn't give up on a chance at finding you."

"They just left you?" Beth asked, biting her lip.

"No." Maggie was quick to make sure she understood. "It was my choice. We can still join them if we leave soon."

Beth paused for a moment and slowly shook her head, glancing at Daryl, then back at her sister. "We're going to the coast..." She whispered.

Maggie followed Beth's eyes, almost forgetting Daryl was even there through all the excitement. That's when she looked around and finally noticed the bite mark on Beth's neck, and the way she spoke as if she was unsure of herself. Maggie instantly got the wrong idea and felt her blood begin to boil. "Did he hurt you?" She asked in a harsh whisper that caused Beth to flinch.

Beth's ears instantly burned and she reached up to cover her neck when she realized why she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment, but before she could say anything Maggie was already moving away from her.

Daryl was in his own little world as he let the sisters catch up, leaning against a tree and picking at the bark to pass the time. When Maggie approached he was taken completely off guard as her fist collided with the side of his face, making him stumble over the log he'd been sitting on and fall to the ground.

"What the fuck?!" Daryl growled, not sure if he should hold his face or his ribs as both were screaming in protest. He managed to get to his feet just as Maggie grabbed the front of his vest and pushed him back against a tree. She was strong for her size, but he could easily overpower her if he wanted to.

"Maggie stop!" Beth yelled from behind them, watching as Daryl stood there helplessly. Beth knew he wouldn't hurt her and would take whatever she threw at him, but she was afraid Maggie might seriously injure him since he'd just barely gotten back on his feet.

"Shes just a kid!" Maggie spat, getting in Daryl's face. "How dare you take advantage of her! You're old enough to be her father!" This time she smacked him and Beth watched as his features fell, clearly hurt by her words more than the hit.

Daryl opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it back closed when he was at a loss. He clenched his jaw and jerked away from Maggie to grab his bow, flashing a glance at Beth who was standing there wide eyed. It wasn't until he started off into the woods that she finally moved and went after him.

"Daryl wait." Beth called, grabbing his elbow. "She didn't mean it."

Daryl pulled away from her, looking at Maggie for a brief second before turning away from the both of them. "But she's right."

"No she isn't! She just doesn't understand!" Beth went to grab his hand, but he was quick to avoid the contact and took a step back.

"Stop." He grumbled, shooting her a warning look before walking off. Molly whined and made the decision to go with him.

Beth stood there silently, watching as his figure faded in the distance. She couldn't go after him this time, not after that look and it made her furious. She went back to Maggie, fighting off her tears the best she could. "What the hell was that?!" Beth yelled, curling her hands into fist as she shook with anger.

Maggie placed a hand on Beth's shoulder to try and keep her calm. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"You really think he'd hurt me?! How do you think I survived out here for so long Maggie? If it wasn't for Daryl I wouldn't of lasted the first night after the prison!" Beth shrugged her off and sat down on the bumper of the van, dropping her head into her palms.

Maggie leaned beside her. "That doesn't mean you should let him take advantage of you just because he's all you've had, its not right."

"You don't know anything." Beth mumbled, wiping at her eyes. "Maybe you should of went to Terminus...forgotten all about me."

Maggie stared at her in disbelief. "How can you say that?"

"Because you've ruined everything!" Beth shouted, standing to face her. "For the first time since the farm I was happy. I was able to be myself, able to get out and see the world for what it truly is. I wasn't treated like glass and locked away like some useless little girl!" Beth kicked a rock in frustration and opened the back of the van to climb inside.

She stilled when Maggie tried to follow her and glared. "Stay away from me." She bit out bitterly.

"Seriously?" Maggie asked, taking a step back at her tone.

"Yes! Daryl almost died two weeks ago and you decide to start throwing punches without even talking about it just as hes getting back on his feet! Not to mention hes gone and I dunno if hes coming back!" Beth wiped at her brow. "Just leave me alone..."

"I came all this way for you Beth. I'm not going to just turn around and let it all be for nothing...I'm sorry. I over reacted. I just worry about you." Maggie sat down on the bumper then, looking in at her sister as she spoke.

"Let me ask you something." Beth said as she sat up more, leaning forward to grab the handle on the door. "When have you ever known Daryl to mistreat anyone? To put himself before someone else?" She asked, narrowing her eyes when Maggie remained silent. "Exactly." With that Beth slammed the door, shutting her sister out.

The whole walk to the river Daryl felt numb. Oblivious to the pain from Maggie's wrath as his thoughts continued to beat him down. He knew from the start he'd never amount to anything, never be good enough for Beth, and Maggie was the first person to bring him back to reality, to make him stop playing pretend. She saw him as nothing more than a worthless old redneck and that's exactly what he was. Beth deserved a good man, someone like Zach or Jimmy, not someone who would constantly be judged for loving her.

With a sigh Daryl sat down on a rock by the river bed and looked off in the distance, trying to ease the ache he felt in his chest at Maggie's words. Molly even tried to offer comfort by settling down next to him and laying her head on his knee, but it didn't help. He didn't know what to do or how to feel.

After what seemed like forever of just sitting there battling with his inner self, Daryl finally stood and let out a ragged breath, placing his finger and thumb to his eyes as he began to pace, heartbreak overwhelming him. His fist made contact with a tree before he could think to stop himself and cursed when the bark cut open his knuckles, pissing him off even more. Growling in frustration he slung his bow from around his back and started heading out further in the woods. Knowing if he could find something to hunt or even a walker to kill it would help ease some of the stress he was feeling.

Darkness was just starting to creep in when Daryl made his way back to camp with four squirrels slung over his shoulder. The only thing he cared about at the moment was getting some food in his belly and calling it a night. He didn't have the patients to deal with anymore bullshit for the evening.

"Easy." Daryl said to Molly as they approached and the dog growled at Maggie who was sitting on the ground leaned against the van.

Maggie must of picked up on the momentary panic in Daryl's eyes when he noticed Beth wasn't anywhere to be seen and she quickly pointed over her shoulder to the van to let him know where she was hiding.

Daryl gave her a silent nod and went to sit against a tree several feet away to be alone.

Molly stayed close to Daryl, laying at his side while she kept a close watch on the stranger who was invading their space.

"How long have you had the dog?" Maggie asked out of nowhere, causing Daryl to tense. He'd been so caught up in preparing the squirrel that he'd forgotten she was even there.

He gave her a quick glance and tried to figure out why she was trying to start up a conversation with him after everything. She made it pretty clear she was disgusted with his choices and that he was as good as nothing in her eyes, so he remained silent and went back to placing pieces of cut up meat to the side.

With a sigh Maggie stood and took a step forward, watching as Daryl reached out a hand to keep Molly planted on the ground when she growled at the sudden movement.

Maggie carefully sat down on a log and tried to get the fire going they'd let die out during his absence. "She's not gonna hurt me is she?" She asked, keeping a close eye on the dog Daryl had a hold of.

Still nothing. Daryl didn't even look up this time as he let Molly go and went back to skinning the last squirrel.

"Hey...I Just-" Maggie pushed, getting irritated he was ignoring her, but was interrupted before she could finish.

Daryl stood then, surprising her. "What do ya want from me woman?" He asked, holding his knife in one hand and the meat he'd been cutting in the other as he stared down at her.

Maggie continued to stay seated, meeting his eyes. "About what I said before...You have to understand I only want whats best for my sister. She's the only family I have left."

"Whats that got ta do with ya pestering me?" Daryl grumbled.

Maggie moved to place a few sticks on the fire she was slowly bringing to life. "I don't want her to get hurt."

Daryl clenched his jaw and gripped the handle of his knife until his knuckles were white. He'd never hurt Beth and it pissed him off she thought he was even capable of such a thing. "I get it alright? I ain't no good for her...Fine...just leave me be."

"Daryl?" Beth called as the back door to the van swung open and she stepped out, cutting their conversation short.

He was mid step to go back to his tree when her voice hit his ears and caused him to swallowed hard, stopping him where he stood with his back to her. His shoulders tensed when he felt a hand upon them and instantly dropped his head to stare at the ground, trying to control the shaking in his hands.

"Can we talk?" Beth asked, sliding her hand down his back when she felt how rigid he'd gone at her touch.

Daryl took in a deep breath. "Ain't got nothin' ta say." He wanted to distance himself to make things easier, to prepare himself to let go, but he couldn't move, his feet refused to corporate with his mind when it was telling him to run.

"Well, I have plenty to say." Beth told him as she grabbed his wrist gently to make him look at her.

Instead of turning to face her like she wanted, he carefully pulled away from her grip with a pain expression, finally getting control over his body enough to move. "I got shit ta do..." He mumbled and went to grab the meat he'd been preparing before sitting by the fire.

Maggie kept quiet from where she was perched on her log and watched Beth kneel at Daryl's side.

"You promised...you promised me you wouldn't do this..." Beth whispered, even though she knew Maggie could still hear them.

"What is it I'm doin' exactly?" He asked as he placed some meat over the flame.

"You're pushing me away again." Beth said, reaching out to steady his hand when she saw how shaky it was.

Daryl bit the inside of his cheek and sighed as he wiped his hands on his jeans. He flicked his eyes in Maggie's direction, then over at Beth before resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his palms over his face. "Fuck I need a smoke." It wouldn't come though. He'd smoked his last cigarette earlier that morning and was now kicking himself for not saving it for when he really needed it.

"What you need to do is talk to me. Nothing has changed between us, so why are you acting like this?" Beth went to place her hand on his thigh, but he stood right as she went to move her arm. "You better not walk away from me Daryl Dixon." She threatened, standing to put herself in front of him.

Daryl looked down at the demanding young woman and scratched his chin, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I ain't gonna be the reason you and ya sis don't get along. Ya need yer family more than ya need this...I don't wanna be the stupid bastard everyone thinks took advantage of ya like some pervert and have people chasin' my ass around with pitch forks. Told ya before this was wrong...ya deserve-."

"Stop it!" Beth spat, cutting him off.

Daryl flinched and snapped his mouth shut almost instantly.

Maggie stared at her sister, surprised at how much she had changed in the short amount of time they were separated, along with how much control she actually had over Daryl. She'd never seen the man back down that easily from anyone.

"Does it really matter what anyone else thinks? After everything we've been through together you're just going to suddenly change the way you feel about us because of what one person says? If you love me it shouldn't matter what the rest of the world thinks. What matters is that we make each other happy." Beth was hurt. She felt like everything was caving in around her and struggled to stay strong, at least until she was finished saying what she needed to say.

Daryl rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He didn't want to push her away, but he also didn't want her to suffer because of how people would react to them together, especially people they knew. "Ya fuckin' know I love ya..." He whispered, a little embarrassed to say it with Maggie listening. "And I always will, but what happens when we find the others? I can't stand ta see that look on ya face again when someone else thinks I'm a sick fuck. When someone else decides ta take a swing at me. That what ya want? Ta constantly be judged when ya could be with someone better?"

"There isn't anyone better..." Beth told him softly, placing her hands on his cheeks while looking into his stormy blue eyes. They were so full of emotion in that moment she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get through to him this time. She'd managed to break down a lot of his barriers, made open up about personal things and saw a side of him she didn't know existed, but this was something she knew had been bugging him for a long time and she still didn't know how to help him get passed it.

"Ya just haven't found 'em yet." Daryl grumbled, avoiding her eyes when she frowned.

"And I don't want to...I love you." Her voice was strained and he knew she was about to lose the battle she'd been having with herself since the beginning of this conversation.

"Christ." Daryl said with clenched teeth. "Don't do that...Don't ya even think 'bout cryin'. That shit ain't fair." At that he reached up to remove her hands from his face to get away from her. He knew she wouldn't cry on purpose just to get her way, not with her knowing how much it killed him to see her red eyed and choked up, but there was a chance she'd slip and he wouldn't be able to keep himself from comforting her. Making him seem like an even bigger asshole for putting her through all this.

"Enough!" Maggie shouted out of nowhere, standing up in the process. "I'm the one you should be mad at, not each other...just stop."


	15. Chapter 15

Maggie had done her best to apologize, to let the two of them know she was the biggest bitch in the world for jumping to conclusions before understanding their relationship, but it didn't matter to Daryl. This had been eating away at him for a while now and just because Maggie changed her mind didn't mean everyone else would accept what him and Beth were, so he pushed himself away. Stayed distant and tried to occupy his mind enough to make himself numb, doing anything to take away the pain he was constantly fighting against every time he looked in Beth's direction.

Four days had passed since that night and now they were traveling back to the railroad tracks where the Terminus signs had been seen. In Daryl's mind Maggie had ruined everything his heart had been set on, ignoring his warnings about how the place didn't seem right and basically brainwashed Beth in to believing everyone they knew would be waiting around the corner with open arms upon their arrival. It was bullshit. The only reason he didn't continue on by himself to the coast was because he loved Beth and knew it was only a matter of time before their terrible plan backfired.

"Stop moving." Beth snapped, grabbing Daryl's wrist to place his arm back on the table when he jerked away.

"Told ya I didn't need this shit ta start with. Just a fuckin' scratch." Daryl mumbled, biting his lip to keep from getting aggravated. He was already pissed at himself for getting swarmed by the small herd of walkers that lead him to this position in the first place and having Beth's hands all over him was only making the situation worse. He hadn't been this close to her in days and the ache in his chest was becoming harder to ignore the longer he sat there.

"A three inch long gash...with gravel in it...something that would of gotten infected if left untreated is hardly a scratch. So stop acting like a baby and sit still, I'm almost done." Beth scolded while tearing a piece of medical tape with her teeth to secure the bandage. "You should be glad you didn't get bit or totally destroy your bike."

Daryl sighed and dropped his head to rest against his palm as Beth tightened the last bit of wrap around his arm, choosing not to respond to her comment. He wasn't even aware she was finished until she grabbed his hand, which caused him to tense and lift his eyes to meet hers in a curious, yet frightened stare.

"Wanna know a secret?" Beth asked, trying to force back the frown that was invading her features.

Daryl swallowed and furrowed his brows, knowing that nothing good was to come with what she was about to say.

"I miss you..." She confessed with a slight quiver in her voice that cut down to the pit of Daryl's stomach in an instant.

"Please don't." Daryl begged and pulled his hand from hers carefully.

"Daryl..." Beth tried to stop him when he stood to leave. "Will you just talk to me for a minute?"

"I-"

"Everything up here is clear." Maggie called out, interrupting them as she walked down the stairs of the old farm house they would be staying in for the night. "Water still runs too, so if anyone wants to take a shower, now would..." Maggie's words trailed when she saw Daryl and Beth standing at the table. Realizing she had interrupted a moment they were having and paused in her step. "Sorry." She apologized, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear awkwardly. "Uh...there are plenty of rooms for us all to have our own...I'll be upstairs if you need anything." And with that she went to pick out a room and get ready for bed while giving them some privacy.

Daryl turned to leave as soon as Maggie walked away. "Go take a shower." He grumbled to Beth before opening the front door and disappearing out into the dark.

"Great..." Beth huffed, dabbing at her hair with a towel as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked like hell. Her eyes were red and swollen, her lips were blue from how cold the water had been and she was almost positive she hadn't rinsed all the soap from her body since she was trying not to freeze to death. It was nice to be clean, there was no denying that, but she wondered if it had even been worth it. She was still going to bed miserable and alone, with no one to cuddle with to keep her warm.

The moment Daryl had turned his back on her in the kitchen and walked away, was the moment the tears broke free and she hadn't been able to stop crying until she stepped out of the shower to dry herself off. There was a good chance the minute she hit the bed her tears would return and she didn't think she could handle another round of painful sobs.

Growling in frustration she slung her towel over the shower curtain and jerked her clothes on. Taking one last look in the mirror she sucked in a deep breath and opened the door to step out into the hallway. Her hair was still wet, a mess, and dripping down her back, but she didn't care. As long as no one saw her face she wouldn't have to answer any questions about her appearance and could go to her room in peace.

That plan was ruined when she found herself stopping in front of Daryl's door, peeking through the crack to see him struggling to remove his shirt. She probably would of kept on walking had it not been for the pained expression in his features, it suddenly dawning on her she hadn't checked the rest of him for injuries after he slid his bike on its side and he was more than likely hurting.

She couldn't go to him though, not with the way things had been progressing with the two of them since Maggie showed up. Beth knew she'd be rejected the second she pushed the door open and that wasn't something she was prepared to handle at the moment. Shaking her head she looked away from the man she loved and continued down the hall in silence to the room Maggie had somehow declared was hers. It didn't matter though, she wouldn't be getting a good nights rest no matter where she slept.

Molly was laying at the foot of the bed with all four paws in the air, wagging her tail like she was the happiest dog in the world when Beth entered the room.

"Least somebody around here is in a good mood." Beth said to the dog, rubbing her soft belly as she walked by to set her things on the dresser. She quickly ran a brush through her tangled hair, then grabbed a book out of her bag and crawled into bed.

She wasn't exactly aware of how much time had passed when Molly started wining and scratching at the bedroom door, but could only assume it had been a few hours since she was already half way through her book and could hear Daryl's faint snores coming from down the hall. With a sigh she flung the covers from her legs and walked over to where Molly was waiting, already a bundle of excitement at the thought of being let outside.

If it hadn't been for Beth living in a world where the dead walked the earth and innocent people had been murdered right in front of her, the silence and darkness of the old farm house probably would of creeped her out as she made her way down the creaky stairs to the living room. Maggie was to blame for that irrational fear, having tormented her when she was younger, making sounds in the night by her door or hiding around a corner waiting for the perfect moment to make her jump out of her skin. She was lucky however since people didn't play around like that anymore. Now a days if someone were to catch you off guard it more than likely ended with a weapon drawn and no one was stupid enough to risk getting a bullet in their head with an otherwise harmless joke.

Turning the knob on the wooden door, Beth attempted to keep the squeaky hinges quite to not wake the others as she stepped out onto the porch. Molly was already running through the yard sniffing for a spot to do her business by the time Beth reached the railing to lean against and she couldn't help but envy the dog. What she would give to be happy and care free again.

Daryl had been dead to the world, enjoying a deep sleep when a muffled cry he recognized jerked him back to reality. Out of habit he sat up and made his way across the room, rubbing his palms over his face as he reached for the door handle. It wasn't until he went to enter the hallway that he realized what he was doing. He couldn't just walk into Beth's room like everything was perfectly fine between them and start soothing her out of a nightmare. It went against everything he'd been doing to stay distant and would only make it more difficult for the both of them in the long run.

When he took a step forward, finally deciding he couldn't be that much of an asshole, he heard another scream and froze. It wasn't coming from inside the house. Without thinking he quickly turned and ran down the stairs, finding the front door wide open and instantly felt panic set in. There shouldn't of been any reason for Beth to go outside at night alone he thought.

"Beth!" Daryl yelled as he ran out the door and jumped off the porch, completely ignoring the steps. The rough ground cut into his bare feet as he ran toward the direction of Molly's barking and that's when he realized he'd forgotten his crossbow. In the heat of the moment he hadn't been thinking about grabbing a weapon and was now running around outside in only his jeans with nothing to protect himself. "Fuck." He cursed, stopping when he heard Beth call his name.

Another scream rang out as Daryl made his way to the back of the house, an old barn coming into view and that's when he saw Beth, on the ground with a Walker snapping it's jaws at her from above as Molly distracted two others close by that were drawn to the smell of fresh meat.

Only pausing for a second to take in the situation, Daryl saw an axe leaning against the side of the barn as he ran toward the commotion and tightly wrapped his fingers around the wooden handle while passing by. He effortlessly sent the metal end of the axe through the rotting skull of the first Walker that was trying to eat Beth and then continued forward to take care of the other two Molly was keeping at bay just as efficiently.

As soon as silence filled the air, Daryl dropped to his knees beside the young blonde and began pushing her clothes out of the way to check for any bites or scratches. Beth shoved his hands to the side and scooted to lean against the barn, wincing in pain at the movement. "It's too late." She whimpered.

Daryl met her eyes with confusion, then fear as her words hit him like a ton of bricks. "No..." He whispered, watching as she peeled the red stained material from her shoulder to inspect the wound there. He reached out a shaking hand to grip the front of her shirt and roughly pulled her to his bare chest. Not at all caring about the dirt and blood she was smearing across his skin. He needed to touch her, needed to feel that she was still there. "You can't leave me..." He pleaded, pressing his face against her hair.

Beth leaned into him and shut her eyes. "Will it hurt?" She asked, trying to hold back the undeniable fear building inside her.

Daryl's grip tightened around her, finding it impossible to accept this would be the last time he'd get to hold her, to speak to her. "Goddammit." He cursed and pulled her shirt to the side once more to look at the bite that would inevitably end her life. Upon further inspection he sighed, dropping his head into the crook of her neck with a chuckle

"What the hell is so funny?" Beth asked, not finding his reaction the least bit amusing.

"Ya ain't bit." He informed her, lifting his head enough to look at her so she knew he was serious.

Beth quickly pushed him away, his words causing her to reinspect her shoulder. "You sure?"

"Ya just cut yerself on the end of that rake when ya fell." He pointed to the side of the barn where a rusty rake was hidden below some dead grass, the end barely poking out just enough to cause some damage.

Beth looked where he pointed, then back to him. "I'm not gonna turn?" She asked, her eyes watery and her lips slightly quivering.

Daryl shook his head and grinned. "No." He reached out to pull her against him again and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Scared the shit outta me." He whispered, moving his hands to cup her face. "The fuck ya doin' out here anyway?"

Beth squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears escaping. She was relieved she'd live to see another day. "Molly needed to go out. Everything just happened so fast I didn't have time to react. Next thing I knew there were Walkers behind me on the porch and I was running through the yard to get away." She paused, opening her eyes to look at him. "Thank you...for saving me. I know you don't want us to be together like we were before, but you being here for me like this means a lot." She admitted.

Daryl didn't say anything. He just watched her, occasionally swiping his thumbs across her cheeks as fresh tears slid from her eyes. When he finally did start to speak he stuttered and stopped himself, snapping his mouth shut with a pained expression.

Beth reached up to place a hand over his that was still touching her. "You don't have to say anything." She told him.

He gave her a nod. "We should go back inside." Daryl said as he moved them to stand. He was worried all their yelling and Molly's barking had drawn in near by Walkers and didn't want to risk another close encounter if they started crawling out of the woods to come after them.

Beth stumbled when she stood, forgetting the whole reason she had fallen in the first place was because she twisted her ankle. She grabbed Daryl's arms to keep steady and winced when she tried to take another step forward.

"Wrap ya arms around my neck." Daryl insisted, bending down so she could reach better. When she did as instructed he placed an arm behind her knees and picked her up, carrying her back to the house.

He carefully put her down in the bathroom after locking the front door and went to find their bag of medical supplies while she sat on the edge of the tub and waited.

"I dunno how Maggie slept through all that." Daryl said as he came back into the bathroom with the bag in hand. He was still bitter toward Maggie and it was clear in his voice.

"Shes always been a heavy sleeper." Beth replied, trying to ignore his disapproval of her sister by sliding a hand down her leg to rub her ankle. She wasn't in the mood to argue.

Daryl put the bag on the counter by the sink and shifted to kneel in front of her. He gently moved her hand and grabbed her foot. "Lemme know when it starts ta hurt." He slowly started to rotate her ankle and stopped when she hissed in pain. "Looks like we're gonna be stuck here a bit longer than planned."

"Is it that bad?' Beth asked, looking down at her ankle again thinking she missed something.

"Just sprained, but we can't have ya travelin' when ya can barely put any pressure on it." Daryl stood then. "Take ya shirt off." And with that statement he pushed Molly out of the bathroom and shut the door.

Beth snapped her head up wide eyed. She wasn't wearing a bra and suddenly felt nervous, which was stupid since they'd been as close as two people could possibly get, more than once.

Daryl leaned against the wall, bringing his thumb up to his teeth to chew on. He was apparently better at making things awkward than he gave himself credit for. "I seen it all before..." He reminded her, picking up on her hesitation.

Beth sighed and forced herself to stop acting like a child. They were both adults and Daryl was only trying to help. With a shaking hand she reached for the hem of her shirt and began pulling it back up her body, groaning when her shoulder protested the movement.

"Here..." Daryl said as he made her lower her injured arm. He helped her pull her other one free, then slipped the material over her head. Carefully he peeled the shirt away from the wound and was able to let it fall to the floor without her having to move her shoulder again.

"Thanks." She whispered, looking away to keep from seeing his face as her breasts were exposed to him.

Daryl actually attempted to do the decent thing and keep his mind from wandering as he grabbed a rag from the bathroom closest. It was hard though...he missed her and everything inside him was screaming to kiss down her neck and in between her perfect perky breasts. Biting his lip he pushed those thoughts aside and wet the cloth before dabbing at the sensitive flesh around her injury.

Beth chuckled after a minute and shook her head. "Really Daryl?" She asked, watching as he looked at her confused.

"What?" He asked, his brows furrowed.

Beth smirked and let her eyes trail down his body to the obvious bulge straining against his jeans.

Daryl turned bright red and huffed. "I'm tryin' alright?"

"I'm not mad." She made sure to let him know. In a way it was kind of nice to tease him. It kept her mind distracted enough to block out the pain.

Daryl continued for a moment in silence before he sighed and tossed the rag against the tiled wall, it bounced off and fell into the tub. "Ya need a shower." She was covered in blood and dirt, and it would be easier for the both of them to have her rinse everything off at once.

Beth pouted almost instantly. "But its freezing."

"Stop ya whining." Daryl grumbled.

"What if I slip?" She asked, still pouting.

She had a good point and Daryl momentarily found himself struggling to give her an answer. He scanned her beautiful blue eyes, trying to find a better way to go about getting her clean, but all he managed to do was place a hand on the back of her neck and pull her to his lips in a piercing kiss. Beth responded to him as if nothing had ever changed and tangled her fingers into his hair, moaning softly. Daryl wasted no time flicking his tongue against her bottom lip to make her open up for him and soon he was massaging his tongue against hers with a motion that caused liquid fire to run through his veins. He had to stop before he was completely lost in her. She was hurt and this wasn't the right time for him to risk getting carried away.

"I'm so fuckin' sorry 'bout how I've been treatin' ya lately." He told her as he brushed some hair behind her ear. "When I thought I was never gonna...when I thought ya was bit..." He swallowed. "I see now life's too short ta worry about what other people might think of me...Just didn't like the idea of folks talkin' bad 'bout ya cause of us bein' together and I'm sorry it took this happening ta ya for me ta see what I was lettin' go ta waste..."

Beth knew it was rare for him to say so much at one time and attempted to push aside the desire he'd created from their kiss to offer him her full attention.

He moved his hand to stroke lightly along her jaw before speaking again. "Think ya can forgive me for bein' an asshole?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, now would it?" Beth teased, causing him to smile.

"Guess not..." He admitted. He really had been a complete fuck up since he started having feelings for her.

The thing about Daryl was, if someone managed to have a place in his heart, he held onto that person forever. Even if he lost his way from time to time he would always find his way back to them eventually. He was loyal person, but when it came to dealing with his feelings that's usually when he found himself struggling the most. That probably wouldn't be anything Beth could ever help him change. It was something he'd been dealing with since he was a small child, but she hoped over time she could continue to drag him away from his past and help him grow into the wonderful man she knew he could be.

"I still love ya..." Daryl whispered, placing his hands on her thighs. "Don't think I could ever stop lovin' ya."

Beth sighed. "I know." She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. "I'm not gonna lie...It hurt having you reject me, but I had hoped if I just gave you some space, that you'd remember what we had...that everything would be alright."

"I'm a fuckin' idiot, hell ya told me that yerself." He said in defeat.

"I knew what I was getting myself into." She said and leaned back to look at him. She was getting tired. "Can we skip this whole shower thing? I just wanna lay down."

"No, and we need ta hurry before that shit gets infected." He stood then and went to get her a towel.

"Daryl..." Beth whined. "I'll freeze to death!"

Growling, he tossed the towel onto the sink and started unbuckling his belt.

That confused her. "What are you doing?"

"Gettin' in there ta keep ya skinny ass warm I suppose. Now come on, get ya shorts off." He demanded, pulling the shower curtain closed behind her to turn on the water and not get her soaked. Truth was he needed to get cleaned up also. His chest was still covered in her blood and his feet were dirty from running around outside barefoot. At least this way they could suffer in the cold together.

"Were you always this bossy?" She asked with a huff, trying to maneuver her cotton shorts and panties over her hips without having to stand.

Daryl raised his brow, kicking his jeans to the side when they hit the floor. His body started reacting to her again when she was completely naked and he cursed. What the hell was wrong with him? His mind was completely focused on taking care of Beth, yet his body insisted on embarrassing him. When he saw her staring at the tent he was pitching in his boxers he sighed. "Don't ya say a fuckin' word."

Beth covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a laugh and gave him a nod.


	16. Chapter 16

Beth was still shivering by the time they reached the bedroom and Daryl started to feel bad for forcing her back under the frigid water. He hadn't realized exactly how cold the water was until it hit his own skin and felt like small needles stabbing him all over. He attempted to keep her warm in the bathroom while patching up her wound by rubbing the towel across her skin to create friction, but it didn't seem to help.

"Put these on while I go find me somethin' ta wear. I'll help ya get a shirt on when I get back." Daryl insisted, holding out a pair of fuzzy purple flannels he found in a drawer. When she took them he gripped the towel around his waist and disappeared down the hall.

He returned only wearing a pair of boxers and Beth raised a brow as he shut the door behind him.

"Thought you were going to find something to wear?" She smirked.

Daryl stopped and looked down at himself, then back at her, shifting his weight slightly. "Everythin' else was dirty...didn't think ya'd want ya nice clean bed gettin' filthy." He cleared his throat. "I figured ya'd be warmer if I could hold ya...if it's a problem I can-"

"I'd like that." She cut him off, holding out the tank top she wanted to sleep in. Daryl didn't hesitate to take it from her. "Can we just pretend the past four days didn't happen?" Beth asked, moving when he needed her to lift her arm.

"Kind of hard ta ignore the new addition sleepin' in the next room over." He grumbled, pulling the tank top down over her stomach so it rest properly against her.

Beth sighed at his tone. "She's been trying to make up for what happened."

With a huff Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her. The mattress dipped behind him before he felt her hand on his shoulder. "It's not just what she said ta us...we had a plan. Everythin' would of worked out at the coast, the others could of seen the signs like she did...Now we're headin' ta this place we know nothin' 'bout. Could be dangerous."

Beth kissed the side of his neck lightly hoping it would help him relax. "You don't know that. Sasha and Bob could already be there and so could the others. They could be safe."

"I do know that." He growled, closing his eyes at her touch. "Usually when somethin's too good ta be true, it usually is."

"Couldn't the coast be too good to be true?" She asked. She wasn't trying to argue, but she wanted to make a point that no place would ever be what they expected it to be. "The only way we'll ever find out if there's something better waiting for us is if we take that risk...if we give it a chance."

Daryl shifted to lay on his side and carefully pulled her to join him. He wrapped the covers around them once she was settled with her back against his chest and propped his head up with his hand to still be able to see her. "All I want is for ya ta be happy. I wanna give ya a life where we don't gotta worry all the time, don't have ta keep runnin'. Thought the ocean might be nice ta see...could find a house away from the rest where no one would bother us..." He left out the part where he wanted to see her standing in the sand with her hair blowing in the wind and a smile on her face. There was only so much a man could tell a woman before they looked like a complete pussy and he figured he already said too much.

Beth listened to him lovingly as he talked about the future he wanted for them. It made her heart ache in a good way that he put that much thought into something he truly wanted to share with her and the longer she thought about it, the more appealing his words became. The only problem was Maggie and it crushed her to think about losing her sister again. They may not of gotten off on the right foot with their reunion, but she knew Maggie and how hardheaded she could be. Beth saw her beating herself up everyday for how she treated Daryl and if given a bit more time, Maggie would be the same person Daryl had grown to care about back at the prison. Then she let her mind wander to the rest of their family...Judith especially, that little girl had a huge piece of her heart.

"What is it?" Daryl asked, having seen the moment her face shifted to sadness. He pushed her wet hair away from her neck and placed his lips against her shoulder, hoping her mood hadn't changed because of him.

Beth shut her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing." It was quiet for a moment before she drew in a deep breath and turned slightly to look at him over her shoulder. "We can all sit down together in the morning and discuss all this if you want. Can you behave long enough to do that?"

Daryl was glad Beth was finally considering other options. "Can we tie Maggie ta a chair first? She might be a tiny little thin', but shes pretty fuckin' scary when shes pissed."

Beth laughed, startling Daryl. She quickly bit her lip to stop herself. "The big bad Daryl Dixon afraid of my sister? Never thought I'd see the day." She said with a smirk.

Daryl growled and poked her side. "Did ya happen ta miss what the fuck she did ta my face?"

Beth giggled, her body jumping away from the touch. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"Oh yeah?" Daryl said with a grin, moving her so she was laying on her back with him hovering over top. "An what ya expect ta do? Ya can barely even stand."

Beth crinkled her forehead like she was seriously thinking about it, causing Daryl to chuckle. "Guess we should wait a few days then..."

Daryl shook his head and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll try ta be nice alright? Ain't happy 'bout it though."

"I know." She said, bringing him back to her lips. "I love you."

"Love ya too." With that he buried his face against her neck and adjusted his body to not crush her. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in, but at this point he was too tired to care. He was just happy to be this close to her again.

The unpleasant feeling that washed over Beth at waking up made her groan and it took her a moment to even realize what was going on. She rolled toward the voice that disturbed her sleep and blinked a few times before seeing Maggie standing in the doorway.

Maggie's eyes dropped to the floor upon entering the room, taking in more of Daryl than she expected. The sheet was low on his hips and his bare chest glowed in the sun light coming through the curtains making him hard to miss. The fact he was even in Beth's room surprised her. "It was getting late...just wanted to make sure you were alright. Made some breakfast if you're hungry."

Beth gave her a nod and Maggie slowly backed out of the room, shutting the door behind her in silence. When Beth rolled back over she smiled at Daryl still sleeping beside her. It was rare for him to sleep this late, but considering they didn't actually lay down until the sun was creeping up from behind the trees it was understandable he'd still be tired.

Unable to resist touching him, she slowly slid her fingers over the tight muscles of his stomach, watching as his lips parted and his breathing changed. She rubbed across the skin that was exposed at his hips, keeping her touches light. It was only a matter of time before her mind drifted to other things. The undeniable erection hiding behind his boxers suddenly more interesting than her current mission.

Daryl sucked in a breath when she palmed him through his clothes and she was instantly pleased with the reaction he gave her. When she slipped her hand under the material and wrapped her fingers around his length he twitched, shifting his hips slightly against her. She waited a second to make sure he wasn't going to wake up and began sliding her hand up and down over the soft skin. He started breathing heavier, the muscles in his stomach tightening with each stroke and when she flicked her thumb over the tip of his cock, he groaned and jerked awake. As quick as he lifted his head and opened his eyes, his hand was already over hers holding it still. He stared at her a moment with a dazed expression, then dropped his head back to the pillow. "Fuck." He panted, rubbing his free hand over his face.

"Morning." Beth said with a smile, her hand still trapped beneath his.

Daryl grunted and removed her from him gently. "Do I even wanna know what that was about?"

"Well..." She started by kissing his collar bone. "You see, I was thinking about getting up...then I remembered my ankle..." Next she trailed her lips up his neck. "Figured I needed your help and couldn't think of a better way to wake you."

Daryl slid his fingers down her side, caressing the small patch of exposed skin between her tank top and pants as he listened. "Liar." He blurted out when she was finished.

Beth dropped her head against his chest and chuckled. "So?"

Reminded of the looks she gave him when his body reacted to her in the bathroom he quickly took advantage of the opportunity to tease her. "Ya gave me shit all night about wantin' ya ass and now ya can't keep ya hands off me?"

She lifted her head, crawling up his body to nip his lower lip. "Is it pathetic you can still turn me on while you're sleeping?"

"A lil' bit." He answered with a grin then proceeded to kiss her properly. "Too bad we can't do somethin' 'bout it."

"And why can't we?" She asked, threading her fingers through his hair. Desire in her eyes.

"With Maggie in the house?" Daryl raised a brow. "Hell no."

Beth frowned. "She already knows you're in here."

"Don't mean she wants ta hear ya screamin' my name." He smirked when her mouth fell open and leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose in an attempt to keep from laughing. "What?" He asked innocently.

Beth pushed on his shoulders when he sat up and climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. "You've never made me scream your name."

Daryl ran his hands up her legs, feeling the soft material of her pants under his fingertips. "Ya just full of lies today ain't ya?"

"Maybe you should punish me for it." She said seductively, yelping when he smacked her on the ass and rolled them over so she was laying on her back. He thrust his hips against her aching center, still very much aroused himself and just as she reached to try and pull him closer he was moving away to stand. "Oh come on." Beth huffed.

Daryl shook his head and smiled. She was the one who wanted to be punished and he could do that by refusing to give himself to her. He took a minute to adjust himself in his boxers since he'd have to leave the room and didn't want to risk Maggie getting an eye full.

Maggie was in the kitchen at the table reading over a map when Daryl and Beth finally came out from hiding, breakfast suddenly a bit more appealing than laying in bed all day. Daryl had to carry Beth down the stairs to the lower part of the house to make sure she didn't cause further injury to her ankle, then assisted her through the living room with an arm around her waist when she insisted on walking the rest of the way. Maggie looked up from where she was sitting just as they entered.

"You alright?" Maggie asked, her brows furrowed. The limp in Beth's step concerning her.

Before Beth could respond Daryl was already starting with a sour attitude. "She almost got eaten last night, nothin' ya need ta worry 'bout." He grumbled.

Beth elbowed him in the ribs and he let out a sound of discomfort at the sharp contact. She didn't understand how how his mood could changed from being playful with her upstairs to bitter in a matter of seconds. "I'm fine." Beth informed her sister when she came over to inspect the damage.

"What happened?" Maggie asked, her expression quickly changing to guilt as she listened to Beth tell her about the close encounter. "I didn't...how could I not of heard?...I'm so sorry I wasn't there."

"It's fine, really." Beth responded, her words muffled due to Maggie wrapping her arms around her in a death grip. Beth had to reach up and push her back slightly to keep her from pressing against the wound on her shoulder. "I just wanna sit here and have a nice breakfast without having to think about what could of happened, alright?"

Maggie was hesitant at first, still worried, but forced a shaky nod and stepped away to drop back into her chair. Daryl shifted to sit beside Beth quietly once Maggie was finished being the protective big sister she was and Molly soon joined them by laying at Daryl's feet.

Breakfast was uneventful. The three of them sat at the table not saying a word to each other while trying to enjoy some oatmeal, canned fruit and powdered eggs in the most uncomfortable silence Daryl had experienced in a long time. It was Beth who finally made an attempt to start a conversation by clearing her throat. "Maggie?" She called, gathering her sisters attention. "Can we go over the plan again for where we're heading once I'm able to travel?"

Maggie's forehead crinkled. "You know the plan. We'll just be a few days behind while you heal, nothings changed."

Beth nodded, they had just recently discussed the path to take to Terminus the night before, but with Daryl's fears they really needed to talk about other options. "I think we should go over it again. Maybe take a step back and try to learn as much about this place as we can before getting any closer."

Maggie's eyes narrowed slightly in Daryl's direction before flashing back to Beth. "This is about the coast isn't it?"

"This is about making sure we stay alive." Beth defended.

Maggie slid the map over and sighed. "You've already made up your mind haven't you?"

"About what?" Beth asked, dropping her spoon back in the bowl that once held her oatmeal.

"Doing whatever it is he says." Maggie accused.

Beth reached down to place her hand on Daryl's thigh when she saw him tense and frowned at her sister. "Why would I waste my time coming to you if that were true?"

"Those signs are everywhere Beth. The others would want a safe place to go that was easy for the rest of us to find. We went over this yesterday, why the sudden change if it wasn't for something he said?"

"Stop talkin' as if I ain't sittin' right here." Daryl growled.

Beth shot them both a look and lifted her hand from Daryl's leg when he pulled away from her. "Will you two stop?!" Beth snapped, rubbing her hands over her face. She felt like she was trying to have a conversation with two toddlers.

"Look all I'm saying is we should go over our other options before jumping on one without looking in to it. You had no problem seeing our sign by the Terminus one." Beth looked at her sister. "Bob and Sasha know where you were heading and if they find the others there, they could always come after us if its safe."

Maggie picked at a napkin on the table, refusing to look up. "What makes you think Terminus isn't safe?"

"Where do I start?" Beth laughed sarcastically. "After Woodbury? The Governor? Who can we trust anymore, but ourselves? It's not impossible for us to find a place of our own and start over like we did at the prison."

"I have to find Glenn..." Maggie whispered.

"I'm not asking you to give up looking for him eith-"

"No you're asking me to leave you if I want to find him!" Maggie hissed, cutting her sister off.

"I never said that!" Beth yelled, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I want to find our family as much as you do, but I also want to stay alive long enough to do so."

Maggie glared at Beth, placing her hands on the edge of the table to push herself to stand. "Why do you even care? You already have the only person that matters to you by your side." She spat, walking out of the kitchen.

"Maggie!" Beth called, stumbling as she tried to go after her. Had it not been for Daryl's strong arm coming out to catch her she would of tripped over her chair and fallen to the floor. Taking a second to find her balance she pulled herself from Daryl's grip and limped into the living room where Maggie was sitting on the couch with her knees drawn to her chest.

"Why are you acting like this?" Beth asked, standing directly in front of her older sister. She couldn't see Daryl, but knew he wasn't more than a few steps behind.

Maggie lifted her head, wiping away a few stray tears that found their way down her cheeks. "It's not fair..."

"What isn't fair?" There were a hundred things Beth could think of that had happened over the past few years that she could consider unfair, the dead walking, losing her parents, losing the farm, the prison, to name a few and she was curious to see how Maggie could add to the ever growing list of how shit had drastically fallen apart for them all.

"You making me choose!" Maggie managed to get out even though it was through a sob. "I miss him! I've thought about him everyday since we were separated and now I have to sit here and watch the two of you together and it isn't fair!"

"I didn't ask for this!" Beth shouted. "What isn't fair is you acting like I shouldn't try to be happy just because you aren't! I miss Glenn too, I miss everyone, but blaming me isn't going to fix anything!"

Neither Beth nor Daryl expected what happened next when Maggie growled and lunged forward, grabbing the front of Beth's shirt and knocking the both of them to the floor by Daryl's feet.

Beth grunted as her shoulder slammed against the hard wood beneath her, sending a jolt throughout her entire back at the force of the fall. On instinct she reached up to try and push her sister away, but only caused her shoulder to scream in protest with the motion and quickly backed down. It didn't matter though, Daryl had Maggie in his grasp, tossing her onto the couch like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes before anymore damage could be done.

Daryl extended his hand to help Beth to her feet carefully once he knew Maggie was finished with her tantrum and that's when he noticed the fresh blood leaking through her bandage.

"It's alright Daryl." Beth said, reaching out to touch his arm when she saw him shaking with anger.

"The hell it is!" Daryl shifted his weight, letting Beth's hand drop from his arm as he walked toward the front door. "When the two of ya figure this shit out let me know." He looked over at Maggie. "Don't ya fuckin' touch her again neither." He pointed, then disappeared behind the door that lead outside. He knew if he stayed in there any longer his anger would get the best of him and then nothing would get accomplished. If the sisters could figure out something on their own he was more than willing to listen and discuss it after everyone calmed down.


	17. Chapter 17

"Stupid bastard." Daryl grumbled, thrusting his knife into the eye socket of a Walker hanging out by the edge of the woods. After almost losing Beth he was determined to make sure no more stragglers were on the property and even took the time to tie a rope around the porch earlier with old cans and pieces of metal dangling from it to warn them if anything or anyone got that close again.

Letting out a growl, Daryl dug his fingers into the tattered shirt that was falling from the small female Walker's chest and attempted to drag the body over to the growing pile of corpses he'd made by the barn, planning to burn them once he knew no more were coming out from hiding. There was a good chance they'd be leaving in a few days, but just in case something happened that caused them to stay longer he wanted to be able to step outside and not have the smell of death and rotting flesh surrounding them.

With a grunt he lifted the body, letting it drop on top of the pile and headed toward the house unaware of how long he'd actually been out there. He only hoped Beth and Maggie were able to come to some sort of agreement and he wouldn't be walking into a war zone.

"Ya comin'?" He called to Molly who was rolling around in the yard like she was the happiest dog in the world. She paused her wiggling briefly at his voice and tilted her head in his direction not actually making an effort to go to him. "Well?" He called again, motioning with his hands for her to move once he opened the door and she finally got to her feet and went inside.

"Ugh...No, Molly down." Beth giggled, pushing the dog back to the floor when she jumped up to lick her face.

"Everythin' alright?" Daryl asked stopping to lean against the wall once the door was shut and locked.

Beth gave him a nod, ruffling Molly's fur. "Perfect." She responded with a smile, lifting a jar to her lips to take a sip of the clear liquid inside.

Daryl stepped forward when he saw the familiar jar in her hand. It was something he hadn't thought about since the night him and Beth stayed in the run down shack after he'd been shot and as much as he'd been around her since then he couldn't remember ever seeing her with the alcohol. "You're drinkin'?" He asked concerned, trying to figure out when she could of taken the Moonshine. There were two more jars sitting on the coffee table unopened.

Beth shrugged. "Figured why not, you know? We're gonna be stuck here because of my stupidity, might as well enjoy it. Plus Maggie said it would help take the edge off."

Of course she did...Daryl narrowed his eyes, carefully watching the two while glancing out the windows. He knew they were safe inside the house since he checked everything over right before coming inside, so maybe trying to relax for the day wouldn't be such a bad idea. "But ya sure everythin's alright?" He asked again, looking between the two sisters to make sure they'd hadn't been beating on each other while he was out.

"Yes!" Beth rolled her eyes playfully with a laugh. "Is everything alright with you?" She let her eyes wander, inspecting his stained clothes. "What were you doing out there anyway?"

Daryl slid his palm down his jeans before scratching at his stubbly chin. "Takin' care of a few Walkers, makin' sure we don't have anymore close calls." He shrugged. "Gonna go get cleaned up real quick..." As he started up the stairs he paused to look back down at her. "Ya ever drank before?"

Beth shook her head. "Nope!" She said with a grin, taking another sip from the jar.

Daryl brought his thumb up between his teeth, biting at the skin around his nail. "Just take it slow alright? Don't want ya gettin' sick..." He dropped his hand and tapped it against the rail, waiting to make sure she heard him.

When Beth gave him a nod that she understood, he went to grab some clean clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. Looking forward to the cold water running over his shoulders and down his back after spending a good portion of the morning in the heat.

"How the hell did I end up agreein' ta this?" Daryl grumbled, bending the deck of cards in his hands nervously. Beth insisted they play poker, keeping the same rules from their time spent in the storage unit when they made love for the first time. It was one thing to show that side of him to her, but it didn't settle well with Maggie possibly getting a chance to learn more about him than she already knew.

"Whoa! Hey, hey." Beth reached for Daryl's hand to keep him from taking another sip of the Moonshine. "What happened with all this talk about taking it slow?"

"If ya want me ta play ya stupid ass game, ya gonna give me a minute ta catch a buzz or this shit ain't happenin'." He insisted, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Maggie smiled and playfully pushed on his arm. "Afraid to let someone see the real you Dixon?"

"Somethin' like that..." He mumbled, taking a long swig from the jar to finish off the last of the strong liquid.

Beth scooted closer to Daryl, cuddling against his side with her head on his shoulder after he leaned forward to set down the empty glass on the table. "You had no problem playing before." She whispered, her lips brushing against his ear lightly.

Daryl shivered at her breath on his skin and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from showing how easily she could make his body react to her. "That was differ-" He stopped talking mid sentence and swallowed hard when her hand gripped his thigh, slowly making its way higher toward his crotch. It took every bit of his strength to stop her, something in her eyes he was all too familiar with shining through and there was no way in hell he was letting anything happen with Maggie sitting right in front of them. "Behave." He chided, gently pushing her hand away to rest in her lap as he tried to adjust himself and keep the sudden bulge in his pants hidden. Nothing good was going to come with the three of them sitting around drinking from what he could already tell and he wondered why he was letting himself fall victim to their silly game.

Maggie cleared her throat, making sure to keep her eyes fixed on anything but the couple sitting across from her once she saw what was happening. "We gonna do this or what?" She asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable that her younger sister was trying to feel up Daryl right in front of her.

Daryl still had the deck of cards in his hand and tossed them onto the table. "Dunno why we're even botherin' ta play. The two of ya already know everythin' 'bout each other...gonna end up askin' me all the embarrassin' shit."

Maggie grinned. "Won't have to answer anything if you don't lose."

"Or we could always play strip poker." Beth pipped up with a giggle.

Daryl raised his brow in her direction. "I think ya had enough ta drink."

"Look." Maggie interrupted before Beth could respond. "We don't have to play cards, but I do have some questions about whats going on here." She made a gesture with her hands to the two of them on the couch together. "And believe it or not there are still things about my sister I don't know and probably don't wanna know."

Daryl huffed, moving to grab one of the untouched jars of Moonshine from the table. At least she was trying, he couldn't argue if she was willing to give them a chance. "Fine, get this shit over with."

"I'll start with something simple. How old are you?" Maggie asked and Beth turned to face him, giving her the impression she didn't know either.

Daryl tensed, pausing in his attempt to unscrew the lid on the jar and looked between the sisters. For some reason he expected something different, something a lot more embarrassing and he really hoped this wouldn't make things awkward for him and Beth when she found out how old he really was. Resting the jar on his knee he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand and shrugged. "Not really sure..."

"Oh come on." Beth said with a push to his chest. None of them knew for sure how much time had passed since the end of the world, but they all still had a general idea of their age.

"Maybe thirty seven." He answered honestly, taking a sip of the Moonshine to distract himself from their reaction.

Beth dropped her head to press her lips against his neck, reassuring him she didn't care how old he was. What they had was real and something as irrelevant as their age wasn't going to change anything. "You gonna share?" She whispered and smiled when he turned to offer her a quick kiss.

"Really think ya need anymore?" He asked.

"Pfft." Beth made a face and took the Moonshine from him. "Pretty sure I'm immune to this stuff, don't feel a thing."

"Beth!" Maggie moved then to take the jar after she swallowed down more than enough of the alcohol, cutting her off. "It's gonna hit you before you realize it and then you're gonna feel like crap. Just give it a few minutes."

Beth frowned and started to protest until Daryl wrapped his arm around her and pulled her feet into his lap, rubbing a hand up her smooth leg to rest on her thigh. "Ya not gonna enjoy it if ya get sick." He wasn't sure how she claimed to not feel anything when he was already getting light headed.

"How long has this been going on with you two?" Maggie struggled to think back to before the attack on the prison to see if she recalled a time the two of them looked at each other the way they did now and drew a blank. She couldn't even remember if they ever really had a full conversation with one another back then.

Beth lifted her head while idly playing with a button on Daryl's shirt. "Nothing happened until we got separated..." She smiled, remembering the first time she kissed him. "Although he did tell me that he used to think about me back at the prison whil-"

Daryl tensed and quickly placed his hand over her mouth when he realized where her words were going. His face turning a dark shade of red. "Really? Ya had ta go there?" He growled when her only response was to laugh and nip at his hand.

Maggie shook her head, playfully making a face when she realized what they were talking about. "That's gross."

Beth smacked Daryl's hand away from her mouth and pointed at her sister. "You're the one that always said he was hot. So hush."

It was Maggie's turn to blush and she quickly dropped her head into her arms to hide her face.

Daryl also tried to hide, sinking lower into the couch.

Beth was the only one who didn't seem phased by the ordeal and even went as far as sneaking a hand under Daryl's shirt to rub against his abs while whispering in his ear. "You don't have to be embarrassed. I think it would be sexy watching you touch yourself...like you did before you had me."

Daryl made a mental note to never ever let her drink again. Apparently an intoxicated Beth lead to a very horny Beth and she was about to push his limits. "Ya need ta stop." He grumbled. Had they been alone he would of had no problem giving her exactly what she wanted, but it messed with his head having her all over him while Maggie was watching.

Beth furrowed her brows. "Why?" Her hand drifted from his stomach to his erection that was currently hidden behind her feet. "You're obviously enjoying it." Then she squeezed him, causing him to snatch her wrist in an instant while biting back a moan.

Daryl glanced at Maggie with an apologetic look. They still weren't on the best of terms, but he figured it was the least he could offer for how her younger sister was acting and hoped she didn't hold it against him.

"Beth...I'm sitting right here...can see everything you're doing." Maggie informed her, trying to save Daryl anymore embarrassment. She honestly felt bad for him.

"So?" Beth said with a grin, leaning forward to bite Daryl's lip.

That did it, Daryl's patients were gone. With a groan he ripped his mouth away from her and pulled her into his lap to straddle his legs. But before she could get comfortable he grabbed a hold of her thighs and stood, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he proceeded to carry her up the stairs. Once they reached the bedroom he kicked the door shut and put her down on top of the dresser. "Ya think that shits funny?"

Beth gave him a nod, a grin spreading across her face.

"Gettin' me all worked up, knowin' my ass can't resist ya?" He growled and pulled his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor. "Not even carin' if Maggie sees?" Next he went to unbuckle his belt, but had to pause and place a hand against the dresser to steady himself when he realized how much the alcohol was affecting his balance.

"She wouldn't of cared." Beth responded, leaning back against the mirror.

"I care." He admitted, opening his jeans to pull himself free. He gripped the base of his aching cock with a groan and took a step closer to her, lowering his voice. "This..." He stroked himself a few times to make sure she was paying attention. "Is only for you ta see sweetheart, ain't for no one else."

Beth moaned and bit her lip, his actions making her toes curl.

Daryl had to let go of the dresser to swat at her when she reached for him. "Nu uh. Said ya wanted ta watch."

"But I need to touch you." Beth whimpered at his rejection, not at all interested in just watching anymore.

Shaking his head, Daryl moved even further away until he felt the bed against the back of his legs. "Take ya shirt off." He demanded, the tip of his cock already leaking from being so turned on. He flicked his thumb over the slippery liquid to spread it along his length and his stomach tightened at the new sensation of his hand sliding over the slick skin.

When Beth did as she was told, he pushed his jeans down to where they were hugging his thighs and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back just enough to hold himself up with his elbow, never stopping his other hand from stroking himself. "Used ta imagine ya straddlin' me, ya beautiful tits in my face..." He paused to squeeze himself at the memory, his hips moving up off the bed with a grunt. "Ya nipples just beggin' for attention..."

Beth crossed her legs, trying to ease the ache between them. "Daryl..." She whined, finding herself already breathless at the thought of him doing this alone thinking of her.

Letting the rest of his clothes join the others on the floor he dropped back onto the bed with his eyes closed and propped his feet up on the lower part of the bed frame, his legs spread to give her a better view. "Ya almost caught me once." He groaned, twisting his wrist to change the angle of his strokes. "Up in the tower when ya brought me dinner. Wasn't payin' attention and if my poncho hadn't of been close by ya would of seen everythin'."

Beth went wide eyed at the realization. She didn't notice back then since she got nervous around him and usually avoided eye contact, but when she actually thought about it with this new information it all made sense. He had that look on his face when she opened the hatch as if he'd been caught doing something wrong and his breathing was heavier than normal for someone sitting there keeping watch. At the time she just assumed she had startled him. "Can you imagine what would of happened had I known?"

Daryl chuckled. "Prolly would have thought I was a sick pervert and never came near me again."

Beth smiled and shook her head. "Not true."

"Ya sayin' had I asked ya ta stay ya would have?" Daryl raised a brow in question.

"Doesn't really matter what I would of done back then does it? You have me all to yourself now." She said with a grin.

Daryl's mouth fell open to respond, but remained silent when his attention was drawn to watching the beautiful blonde in front of him slide her hand down between her perfect breasts and over her flat stomach. Her finger swirled around her belly button for a brief second then her hand disappeared beneath her tight cotton shorts. Leaving the rest up to his imagination.

"Fuck." Daryl breathed, the sight making his dick twitch in his hand. He jumped off the bed and in one long stride stepped between her legs, placing his hands on her hips. "Feel good?" He asked, his voice heavy.

Beth bit her lip and gave him a nod as she brushed over her clit. The contact making her gasp uncontrollably.

Daryl squeezed her hips and leaned forward to kiss up her neck. "Ya wet for me?" He whispered, his lips trailing against her ear with a lightness that caused her to tremble.

"Yes." She moaned as her fingers found their way over her slick folds to thrust them deep inside. She was dripping.

Not able to stand it anymore, Daryl hooked his fingers around the waist of her shorts and panties and ripped them down her legs so he could see her fingers sliding in and out of herself. "That's so fuckin' sexy." He growled and reached around to grab the back of her head to crush his lips against hers.

When he was satisfied with the kiss he leaned back to grab her hand that was covered in her sweet juices and brought it to his lips, slowly sucking a digit into his mouth with a moan as he gripped her hip with his other hand to pull her to the edge of the dresser to finally bring the two of them together. The combination of her taste and her tightly wrapped around his erection made him completely forget about Maggie still in the house and the fact she could more than likely hear everything they were doing as he started a rough, fast pace.

"Daryl..." Beth moaned, locking her ankles around his waist to allow him to go deeper. It took her a moment to clear her head of the alcohol and desire keeping her from thinking straight, but once she had, she wiggled the finger in his mouth he was currently sucking on to grab a hold of his lip and jerked his face closer to hers. She noted the hint of pain in his features at the action and was prepared to apologize until a groan escaped his lips and rolled down her spine. "You forgot to grab a condom." She reminded him just as he lifted her from the dresser and moved them to the bed. Her arms quickly wrapped around his neck to keep from falling to the floor.

"I'll pull out." He murmured, kissing down her neck and over her shoulder as he hooked his hand behind her knee to bring her leg higher up his back to thrust deeper. His fingers dug into the skin at her hip when her muscles clenched around him tighter and he knew she was close.

"I need..." She grunted between thrust, trying to catch her breath enough to speak. "Please...touch me." She begged, tangling her fingers through his messy hair while she gripped the pillow behind her with her other hand.

Daryl dipped his head when she fist his hair and bit her neck, carefully circling her clit with his thumb. She bucked against him, crying out when she reached her peak and all Daryl could do was continue to move as she rode out her orgasm and pray he didn't lose his load inside her. Which was proving difficult the way her muscles were pulsing, trying to milk him into the same ecstasy she was currently bathing in.

To his surprise, before he even had a chance to slow things down, she was already moving and wrapping her tiny hand around his swollen cock. "Mmm just like that sweetheart." He panted and began thrusting into her hand, his warm liquid shooting out across her breasts and stomach as her name spilled from his lips mixed a loud groan.

"Christ..." He breathed, gripping the headboard to keep from collapsing on top of her.

Beth watched him with a smile, her free hand lightly rubbing down his side as he got his breathing back to normal. With a sigh, he kissed her forehead and moved to get up, grabbing his shirt from the floor to clean the sticky substance from her skin.

"You could of used a towel instead of getting your shirt dirty." She told him as he wiped between her breasts.

He just shrugged and quickly cleaned himself off when he was finished with her, then slipped on his boxers after tossing the sticky shirt to the side to be washed later. He put Beth's bag on the dresser and grabbed her a pair of panties and a shirt to sleep in. Not that he minded her laying there naked, hell he never minded getting a chance to see every bit of her, but just in case anything happened where they had to act fast he didn't want her stuck running around in the nude or tripping over her clothes while trying to dress in a hurry.

"Ya wearin' this old man out." Daryl said with a chuckle, helping her guide her arms through the holes in the shirt.

Beth dropped her forehead against his shoulder lazily as she slipped on her panties. "You're not old." She mumbled into his skin.

Daryl just shook his head and placed a hand on her hip to make sure she didn't fall as she finished dressing. When she looked as if she was about to fall asleep standing there he carefully pulled her to lay with him, her arm instantly going over his chest and a leg over his thighs. It wasn't long before she shifted, suddenly more aware of the effects the alcohol in her system were having.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm?" He hummed in response, idly playing with her hair.

"Is it normal for the room to spin?" She asked softly, rubbing her hands over her face thinking it would help clear her vision.

That caused Daryl to push on her shoulder gently when he saw how pale she looked. "Sit up." He insisted, knowing from personal experience that this could very well lead to her feeling bad and he really hoped that wasn't what was about to happen. When she did as instructed he got out of bed and pulled on his jeans. "Gonna go get ya some water, if ya feel sick there's a trash can right there." He pointed beside the nightstand.

Beth gave him a nod and took in a few deep breaths to keep her stomach from turning as he walked out into the hallway. He entered the living room to find Maggie still sitting at the coffee table playing with the cards and froze immediately. The floor boards creaked under his weight and Maggie looked up from her game with a raised brow and a smirk played on her lips. "Break time?" She asked with a giggle.

Daryl looked away from her, his face burning with embarrassment. "Um..." He rubbed the back of his neck, not exactly sure what to say.

"I'm just messing with you Daryl." Maggie moved to stand, stretching out her legs from the uncomfortable position she'd been sitting in on the floor. "Beth's an adult now and free to make her own decisions. I'm sorry it took me this long to see what she has...but you're good man and that's all I could ever want for her."

Daryl didn't have a clue how to respond. He was still getting used to the idea of believing those words even when Beth said them and to hear them from the same person that looked at him in disgust only days ago left him speechless. To save himself an awkward conversation he gave her a simple nod and went on his way to the kitchen where their supplies were spread out all over the table.

Maggie started cleaning up the cards when he walked away, but managed to catch his attention before he headed back upstairs. "Did Beth get a chance to tell you what we talked about?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not worked on this story since 2014. It was originally posted on FF.Net until I recently discovered this wonderful site and figured more people may see it here. Its sadly unfinished, so if anyone wants to add an ending or shoot some ideas my way, please please feel free to message me.


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